Book Bingo 2019 is a collaboration challenge I am completing with my favourite bloggers, Theresa Smith Writes and The Book Muse. Each Saturday, on a fortnightly basis, beginning on Saturday 5th January 2019, Ashleigh, Theresa and I will complete a book review post, outlining our respective bingo card entries. The Book Bingo 2019 card contains a total of 30 squares, which we will complete over the course of the year, with the aim to complete the whole card by the end of December. Two of the Book Bingo entries this year will be flexible, so that means it is completely down us as to when we post these entries, to ensure all 30 are ticked off by the end of the year. Do keep an eye out on our respective blog sites for our bonus round entries! To keep things interesting for ourselves and those following along with us, the choice of bingo square to be covered will be entirely down to us, there is no crossover – that is planned anyway! However, as Ashleigh, Theresa and I enjoy similar books, especially books by Australian women writers, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we end up with more than one book double up, as was the case in 2018! We invite you to join us in this fun book related challenge, by linking your bingo card entries in the comments section of this post, tagging us on social media, or by visiting The Book Muse and Theresa Smith Writes.
‘Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, about last Friday, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in
a forest all by himself under the name of Sanders’
Curl up with a true children’s classic by reading A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh.
Winnie-the-Pooh may be a bear of very little brain, but thanks to his friends Piglet, Eeyore and, of course, Christopher Robin, he’s never far from an adventure. In this story Pooh gets into a tight place, nearly catches a Woozle and heads off on an ‘expotition’ to the North Pole with the other animals.
In this stunning edition of Winnie-the-Pooh, A.A. Milne’s world-famous story is once again brought to life by E.H. Shepard’s illustrations. Heart-warming and funny, Milne’s masterpiece reflects the power of a child’s imagination like no other story before or since.
Review:
First published over 90 years ago, Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne has endured over decades, filling so many households around the world with wonderment. When I cast my mind back to my childhood reading years, I cannot recall having read Winnie-the-Pooh. I am deeply familiar with Pooh and his friends, which is in thanks to the screen adaptations of this childhood classic, along with the saturation of the popular toy animals of this tale in the merchandise world. However, if you are familiar with A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh, there is no denying the longevity of this beloved classic.
Winnie-the-Pooh, first published in the year 1926, is a collection of ten different story chapters involving the formidable Winnie the Pooh and his friends. These friends appear in and out of the ten stories, along with a young boy named Christopher Robin, Eeyore the Donkey, Piglet, Rabbit, Roo and Owl. There are references to a Wozzle and Heffalump creature, but the attention is always carried back to dear Pooh. Settling into the pages of this childhood classic will take the reader far and wide. With plenty of adventure and lessons in friendship, a pot of honey is a much needed staple accompaniment to reading this treasured tale. Running alongside A.A. Milne’s prose are the “decorations” as stated on the front cover of my copy of this edition by E.H. Sheppard. The illustrations add another dimension to this truly delightful story. I also welcomed the inclusion of a number of sweet song verses voiced by Pooh and his friends, that helped to express many parts of the unfolding ten tales.
As an adult reader going into reading a childhood classic, a whole different world appears. There are some subtle messages included in this book that I am sure I would not have picked up as a young reader. At the same time, there is plenty of innocence, naivety and simple joy present in Winnie-the-Pooh. I enjoyed the connections between the animals and human boy in this book. The adventures they all take are straightforward, safe and entertaining. Milne dusts the story off with plenty of light hearted humour, which mostly comes at the expense of the animals and their actions.
To say these characters are inspired by the toys of the author’s child is astounding. The way Milne has injected life and assigned unique personalities to each toy animal is impressive. Each figure in Winnie-the-Pooh, starting with Pooh himself, are carefully laid out on the page. I came to see each animal’s idiosyncrasies. I particularly developed a soft spot for Eeyore, who seemed more downcast and vulnerable than I recall. I loved that the setting seemed very familiar to me. Winnie-the-Pooh is set in East Sussex, an area I resided in for many years as a young girl. I loved how this area transformed in front of my eyes. I came to see the hundred acre woods with a sense of curiosity and magic, which was a really nice feeling. I would have loved to come across a giant tree in our local woods – complete with a magical door!
Winnie-the-Pooh truly is a literary gift. It has demonstrated its full worth over many years, enthralling both adults and children alike for almost a century. I loved the magic and friendship that seemed to go hand in hand in this book. For this reason, I would recommend Winnie-the-Pooh as a family book, to be appreciated equally by grown-ups and children.
**** 4 stars
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne was first published in 1926. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
