Now We Are Six

By A. A. Milne and Ernest H. Shepard

‘But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever. So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever!'

Curl up with Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin in A.A.Milne’s classic book of poetry for children, Now We Are Six.

This work by A.A.Milne includes poems for children which feature Pooh helping Christopher Robin with his schoolwork (if helping is the word). It is an evocation of childhood, through the eyes of the six-year-old Christopher Robin.

Featuring E.H.Shepard’s original decorations, Now We Are Six is a heart-warming and funny introduction to children’s poetry, offering the same sense of humour, imagination and whimsy that we’ve come to expect from his favourite books about Winnie-the-Pooh, that Bear of Very Little Brain.

Do you own all the classic Pooh titles?

Winnie-the-Pooh
The House at Pooh Corner
When We Were Very Young
Now We Are Six
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood
The Best Bear in All the World

The nation’s favourite teddy bear has been delighting generations of children for over 95 years. Milne’s classic children’s stories – featuring Piglet, Eeyore, Christopher Robin and, of course, Pooh himself – are gently humorous while teaching lessons about friendship and kindness.

Pooh ranks alongside other beloved character such as Paddington Bear, and Peter Rabbit as an essential part of our literary heritage. Whether you’re 5 or 55, Pooh is the bear for all ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Nov 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781405255844

A. A. Milne

A. A. (Alan Alexander) Milne (1882--1956) was a noted English author primarily known as a poet and playwright before he found huge success with his iconic children’s books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. Milne served in both World Wars and was the father of Christopher Robin Milne, upon whom the Pooh character Christopher Robin was based.

Book preview

SOLITUDE

image 3

I have a house where I go

  When there’s too many people,

I have a house where I go

  Where no one can be;

I have a house where I go,

Where nobody ever says ‘No’;

Where no one says anything – so

  There is no one but me.

KING JOHN’S CHRISTMAS

image 4

King John was not a good man –

   He had his little ways.

And sometimes no one spoke to him

   For days and days and days.

And men who came across him,

   When walking in the town,

Gave him a supercilious stare,

Or passed with noses in the air –

And bad King John stood dumbly there,

   Blushing beneath his crown.

King John was not a good man,

   And no good friends had he.

He stayed in every afternoon …

   But no one came to tea.

And, round about December,

   The cards upon his shelf

Which wished him lots of Christmas cheer,

And fortune in the coming year,

Were never from his near and dear,

   But only from himself.

image 5

King John was not a good man,

   Yet had his hopes and fears.

They’d given him no present

Reviews for Now We Are Six

[karencollyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

New copies of old favourites bought for my grandchildren. They have not shown as much interest as I would have expected.

[bobbybslax · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A continuation of the first poetry collection, but slightly more entertaining and substantive.

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A nice little break from life, with all kinds of adventures. I do of course wish there'd been more of Winnie the Pooh, but nevertheless. Delightful.

[beammey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Again, this wasn't my favorite book in the series, but it was still very, very good and made me smile quite a lot. A great book for kids. Good imagery, good core concepts, all around fun. I would recommend this book. 4 out of 5 stars.

[nandakishore_varma-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Like When We Were Very Young, this is also a terrific compilation. I love it when an adult can see through a child's eyes without losing his "adult-ness". Milne's poetry is simple and beautiful, and his humour can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh need no introduction. Quite a few of the poems in this book are about the duo. Milne accomplishes the extraordinary feat of seeing from the realistic and make-believe viewpoint at the same time (something which comes as second-nature to children, but we lose it as we grow up): therefore, Pooh is a live character to Christopher, even when he knows that he is nothing but a toy (the poem Us Two and The Friend).

There are a lot of nonsense poems about silly grownups, quite a few of them kings and emperors, but behaving like spoilt children-a child's view of himself, maybe! (Or a rather uncomfortable thought - is it so childish? Don't dictators behave like spoilt kids on a rampage - with much deadlier results than Milne's characters produce, of course.) There are poignant poems of a child's world which so incomprehensible to adults so that they shoo him away (Come Out With Me). Also, there is the delight only a child can experience, such as a race between two raindrops (Waiting At The Window). There are even profound philosophical questions which plague a young mind (Explained).

But for me, the poem which captures the quintessence of childhood in this collection is Buttercup Days, about Anne and her man(!), especially these four lines:

What has she got in that little brown head?
Wonderful thoughts which can never be said.
What has she got in that firm little fist of hers?
Somebody's thumb, and it feels like Christopher's.

Anne and Christopher, among the buttercups. Pure childhood bliss!

Five stars, all the way.

[srboone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simple, humourous poems that I enjoyed as much as an adult as I did as a child.

[orpgirl1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

AA Milne is best known for his character of Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends in the Hundred Acre Forest. This book of poetry by Milne, with drawings from his longtime collaborator Ernest Shephard, is a compilation of poems written from a child's perspective that only sometimes incorporates well-known Pooh characters. Many of the poems in this compilation brought a smile to my face as I enjoyed Milne's ability to capture the thoughts, creativity, and priorities of a child almost perfectly. The style of the poems doesn't follow any set poetic rule or logic, although most do use a rhyming pattern. Each poem is accompanied by distinct pen and ink drawings including many of Pooh and Christopher Robin. The poems themselves are full of English words, terms, and scenarios, and therefore more than a little bit of cultural interpretation is needed. This in no way detracts from the poems themselves, however, as each one does a marvelous job at creating imagery and a small snapshot of endearing children and their ways of looking at the world. My copy of this book was given to me years ago for a birthday by my best friend, and I truly do count it as one of my favorite books for sheer sentimental reasons alone. The greatness of the poems is simply an added bonus!

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

More poetry to delight the child's mind, and the adult who reads to them as well. Many of these are fun to sing.

[merrymary_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Now we are six,And we're clever as clever.I think we'll be six nowFor ever and ever."Don't you wish we could?