Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and House at Pooh Corner
(1928)
stories by A.A. Milne, illustrations by E.H. Shepard
I grew up as a huge fan of Pooh. But, embarrassingly, I didn’t even touch the actual books until college, when I was able to visit Ashdown Forest. In reality, the books, like those of the precocious Eloise, are as much, if not more, for adults than kids anyway. Even still…How could I have gone so long without the real Winnie-the-Pooh?
Even though all the chapters in these books are their own stories, and they were written two years apart, I still think of the two books as one unit. If you’ve only been exposed to Disney’s Pooh, I highly recommend reading these. You’ll never go back. I can’t, of course, speak to these books from a child’s perspective (although I will say that our 3-year old sits and listens to a chapter every night), but the stories are so very entertaining. They may feel slower-paced than some modern children’s literature, but it’s the subtle humor of these books that makes them such treasures. Once I finally introduced myself to the books, I also found that my character favorites (and least favorites) changed. While Pooh had always been my Number One (Oh, boy, this could go very wrong…) as a child, Piglet is definitely my favorite in the books. I won’t go into least favorites, as I know how attached people become to these characters, but I do highly recommend giving these books a read or a re-read to see for yourself.
Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and House at Pooh Corner
(1928)
Celebrate Pooh Day every January 18th! (A.A. Milne’s birthday)