When We Were Very Young

By A. A. Milne

First published in 1924, “When We Were Very Young” is the timeless collection of poetry by A. A. Milne. The introduction to the collection suggests that the narrator is meant to be Christopher Robin, the child at the center of Milne’s famous tales of The Hundred Acre Wood. In the poem “Teddy Bear”, readers are first introduced to Milne’s most famous character, Winnie-the-Pooh, who was originally called “Mr. Edward Bear” by Milne’s real-life son, Christopher Robin Milne. “When We Were Very Young” contains over 40 poems that beautifully describe the innocence, magic, and creativity of childhood. Classic poems such as “Halfway Down” capture the unique experience of growing up, where a child has one foot in the nursery and one in the grown-up world. Milne’s poems are whimsical, entertaining, and touching as they describe the world of make-believe and fantasy that is so appealing to young readers. Generations of children and parents alike have enjoyed reading these lovely poems to each other and many of the verses have been set to music and incorporated into television shows and movies. A copy of this engaging and heart-warming poetry collection belongs on the shelf of every child’s library.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Digireads.com Publishing
• Release date: Jan 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781420972740

A. A. Milne

A.A. Milne (1882-1956) was an English writer. Born in London, Milne was educated at an independent school run by his father. Milne went on to Trinity College, London, where he earned a B.A. in Mathematics while editing and writing for the student magazine Granta. Upon graduating in 1903, Milne worked as a contributor and assistant editor for Punch, Britain’s leading humor magazine, while playing amateur cricket. He served in the British Army in the Great War as an officer and was injured at the Battle of the Somme in July of 1916, which led to his work as a propaganda writer for Military Intelligence before his discharge in 1919. Having married in 1913, Milne and his wife Dorothy de Sélincourt welcomed their son Christopher Robin Milne into the world in 1920. Around this time, Milne worked as a screenwriter for the British film industry while continuing to publish in Punch, where his poem “Teddy Bear” appeared in 1924. Marking the first appearance of his character Pooh, this launched Milne’s career as a successful children’s author. Winnie-the Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928) were immediate bestsellers for Milne and continue to be read, cherished, and adapted today. Following this success, disturbed by the fame surrounding his son Christopher Robin, who figured as a character in his Pooh stories, Milne turned to writing adult fiction and plays, including Toad of Toad Hall (1929), an adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s beloved novel The Wind in the Willows (1908).

Book preview

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WHEN WE WERE

VERY YOUNG

By A. A. MILNE

WITH DECORATIONS BY

Ernest H. Shepherd

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When We Were Very Young

By A. A. Milne

Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepherd

eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-7274-0

This edition copyright © 2021. Digireads.com Publishing.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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CONTENTS

JUST BEFORE WE BEGIN

CORNER-OF-THE-STREET

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

HAPPINESS

THE CHRISTENING

PUPPY AND I

TWINKLETOES

THE FOUR FRIENDS

LINES AND SQUARES

BROWNIE

INDEPENDENCE

NURSERY CHAIRS

DAFFODOWNDILLY

WATER-LILIES

DISOBEDIENCE

SPRING MORNING

THE ISLAND

THE THREE FOXES

POLITENESS

JONATHAN JO

AT THE ZOO

RICE PUDDING

MISSING

THE KING’S BREAKFAST

HOPPITY

AT HOME

THE WRONG HOUSE

SUMMER AFTERNOON

THE DORMOUSE AND THE DOCTOR

SHOES AND STOCKINGS

SAND-BETWEEN-THE-TOES

KNIGHTS AND LADIES

LITTLE BO-PEEP AND LITTLE BOY BLUE

THE MIRROR

HALFWAY DOWN

THE INVADERS

BEFORE TEA

TEDDY BEAR

BAD SIR BRIAN BOTANY

IN THE FASHION

THE ALCHEMIST

GROWING UP

IF I WERE KING

VESPERS

TO CHISTOPHER ROBIN MILNE

OR

AS HE PREFERS TO CALL HIMSELF

BILLY MOON

THIS BOOK

WHICH OWES SO MUCH TO HIM

IS NOW

HUMBLY OFFERED

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Just Before We Begin

A ONE TIME (but I have changed my mind now) I thought I was going to write a little Note at the top of each of these poems, in the manner of Mr. William Wordsworth, who liked to tell his readers where he was staying, and which of his friends he was walking with, and what he was thinking about, when the idea of writing his poem came to him. You will find some lines about a swan here, if you get as far as that, and I should have explained to you in the Note that Christopher Robin, who feeds this swan in the mornings, has given him the name of Pooh. This is a very fine name for a swan, because, if you call him and he doesn’t come (which is a thing swans are good at), then you can pretend that you were just saying Pooh! to show how little you wanted him. Well, I should have told you that there are six cows who come down to Pooh’s lake every afternoon to drink, and of course they say Moo as they come. So I thought to myself one fine day, walking

Reviews for When We Were Very Young

[walksaloneatnight · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sad that I missed this when I was younger, but luckily I can add it to my daughter's library! A wonderful little collection of lively, youthful poetry by the beloved children's author A. A. Milne!

[merrymary_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree" is one of my favorites."J.J.M.M.W.G.DuP. Took good c/o his M*** though he was only 3."

[fjola-5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Aah, so tender!

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When we were very young, my parents gave me When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six, and gave my brother the two books of Pooh stories. I felt at the time that he got the more interesting books, but I did like "Buckingham Palace."

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I know and like these poems. Unfortunately the Open Media ebook I got has _horrible_ formatting - they maintained all the pictures (yay!) but the text is often split by the pictures, in ways that lose a line or two. In order to read several of the poems I had to scroll back and forth and back and... At best, this is a distraction; at worst - I only knew some of them were missing lines because I know the poems. A pity - a poor edition of a usually (mildly) enjoyable book.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love these poems. When I was young, I had a recording of many of them and they have stuck in my head to this day. Delightful poems which seemed to me to be just a bit naughty when I was very young. In an innocent sort of way. I remember thinking, "That's just how I feel."

[annedenney · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very lovely volume, beautiful poetry that the girls just love.... Need to get my hands on the other three of the series, too :)

[bigorangecat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had this read to me many decades ago, and yet the verse of Milne, along with the illustrations by Ernest Shepard, still are fresh and wondrous. I'm still looking for the brownie behind my great big curtain!

[coffeehag · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a delightful book! From the time I was a child, I never thought I would like this book, because it was just full of poetry. Then, I bought it, and read the whole thing in one sitting. Two days later, I'm still chanting, "James James / Morrison Morrison / Weatherby George Dupree / Took great / Care of his Mother / Though he was only three." A. A. Milne has captured what it means to be a child in his poetry.

[aleader-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When We Were Very Young is a book of poetry by the author of the Winnie the Pooh books. My personal favorite is "Puppy and I" because I like the idea of following the puppy up the hill to roll and play. The book has a lot of enjoyable imagery like that, but I am not sure if it will be easily understood by modern American children. It is very British and old-fashioned in its language.

[bibliobeck · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An absolute all time favourite full of unforgettable rhymes that stay with you into adulthood. Perfect for reading aloud - any child would love this book. I still have my childhood copy and still love it.

[seldombites · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book contains the type of sweet, innocent poetry I remember from my childhood. Such a shame that these types of poems aren't still being written. Today's poetry seems so harsh and unrelenting compared to the poems I used to read.I felt very sentimental as I read this book.

[hnebeker_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I grew up with Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin and to this day I cannot read the last chapter without crying: " with his eyes on the world Christopher Robin put out a hand and felt for Pooh's paw. "Pooh," said Christopher Robin earnesstly, "if I --- if I'm not quite ---" he stopped and tried again --- "Pooh, whatever happens, you will understand, won't you?" And wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on top of the forest, a little bear will always be waiting. I absolutely LOVE Milne's writing and am so grateful that he created such a wonderful little world in the woods. I can read his writings, including the poetry, over and over again.

[beammey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't know what I was expecting, but I didn't like this book as much as the others in the series. The poems were still fun and some of them made me smile, but I didn't like it as much as the first two. I would still recommend it to those that want to read the series though. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

[sharese_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary:AA Milne poetry for young children with great drawings throughout. He seems to be able to show the innocence of childhood as well as the adventures children are eager to go on. Great poetry combined with adorable pictures.Review:I have recent additions of this book and one that was my mother's dated 1950. The poems are so simple and so loving that you want to read them over and over again. You can almost see a father's love for his child gushing out of every word on the page. This is what childhood should be like for every child in the world.

[srboone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Charming and delightful rhymes from the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh.

[homeschoolmimzi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love, love the poetry in this book. Love the old edition I have too. And the artwork is equally as good, inspiring lovely feelings of nostalgia, of days gone by.. when things were simpler and slower paced.

[jmattas_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining, cute poems, many of which capture a child's imagination. Some of these could be seen as one's earliest memories from childhood -- they're appropriately fantastic (nonsensical) and written from a toddler's perspective. The poems are written very well, so it is a fun read even as an adult. Also, Shepard's illustrations are great.But, if you haven't read this (or this hasn't been read to you) as a child, there isn't that much value to this. I should consider reading the Finnish translation to my children.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Illustrated by Ernest H Shepard

This was Milne’s first book for children, originally published in 1924. He was inspired by his young son, Christopher Robin, and the verses are sometimes silly, sometimes touching, and always enjoyable. Shepard’s illustrations are a perfect accompaniment, chronicling Christopher’s interactions with shopkeepers, nanny, horses, rabbits, and one particularly stout bear.

I was particularly delighted to read this poem on a snowy March day …
DAFFODOWNDILLY
She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
“Winter is dead.”

I can only hope … but at least this little poem put some sunshine in my heart.

P.S. Somehow Goodreads has this work listed as “Winnie the Pooh series # 3” … yet it was the first published work, and Pooh isn’t mentioned at all – at least not by name.

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It was a rainy day. The sun shone for a very short period of time. After errands, I came home, and in my need to locate books and somehow document where they are throughout the house, I sorted through some containers and came upon this delightful book of poems.I've always found A.A. Milne to be delightful. His writings are cute, yet filled with wisdom.This was a quick, calm read while the rain pelted the windows.

[hippielunatic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Milne perfectly captures childhood with these poems. The wandering curiousity of a small child is evidenced by the wide range of topics the poems deal with. The strong imagination is depicted through numerous poems, where a child's play runs rampant... such as in "Nursery Chairs." The lack of attention to a task at hand is a wonderful way to close the collection as well in "Vespers."

[marzren · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simple and mundane. No frills just the basics things every child should have in their childhood library. Surprisingly I didn't find this in my library as a kid but rather from my mum's give away pile. Had I not saved it I would have never known that A., Milne A. was a poet.An adorable collection of poems that never fail to inspire and bring a smile to me every time I read it. This is probably the few books I wouldn't mind growing old with.

[bobbybslax · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good collection of poems that embody the spirit of early childhood well. It's hard to believe Milne when he said he was the "least sentimental" about children.

[occultation · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“How beautiful these words are, even at a young age the immediacy of such simplicity is enough to make the eyes rise. Perhaps not as accomplished as Milne's second tome, but still a refreshing set of poems, that is easily comparable to any of Blake's earlier material. The wonder is that Milne seems to have become drowned in the sweet sickiness of his other creation Pooh, under a tumult of market economics. Oh well, that would not happen when we were young...BP

[rosiebillings · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary: A collection of about 44 different types of poems and uses different rhyming patterns. This collection of poems is how the author viewed his own child experiencing the world for the first time. Personal Reaction: This collection of poetry really captured what it’s like to be young and experiencing the world. I also enjoyed how the illustrations flowed with the poetry as well. Classroom extension:1) Have the students draw a short story line of their favorite poem from the book2) Going along with the theme of being young, have the students create their own poem about something new they experienced.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This sweet book includes a collection of poems by Milne, who is better known for his Winnie the Pooh books. It’s a great one to share with kids. The illustrations were my favorite part. They’re beautiful and added so much to each page. BOTTOM LINE: A must for a child’s library.