Winnie The Pooh
Perhaps one of the most recognizable bears in the fiction world, Winnie The Pooh has garnered millions of fans around the world. This lovable bear and his gang of animal and human friends has touched the hearts of both adults and children alike for several decades. This silly yellow bear that loves his honey has a fascinating story behind his creation, although he has become an empire of cartoons, television shows, movies, and plenty of merchandise. The creation of famed author AA Milne, Winnie The Pooh is a truly wonderful character that has become an icon for several generations, and continues to be today. Along with his forest friends and his pal Christopher Robin, Winnie The Pooh has been on several adventures that teach readers and viewers an important moral lesson.
About Pooh
The famous yellow bear Winnie The Pooh was originally named by author AA Milne, who gave a stuffed version to his son as a gift. Milne's son Christopher Robin is the inspiration for the character of the same name. The setting for the books is a deep forest called Hundred Acre Wood, where Pooh and his friends live and play. Some of the other characters include Tigger the jumping tiger, Owl, Eeyore the donkey, Kanga the kangaroo, Roo who is Kanga's son, Piglet the little pig, Rabbit, and various other creatures that live in the forest.
Official Site – Walt Disney's official website for Winnie The Pooh and friends.
Just Pooh – A website dedicated to everything Pooh including other characters, stories, games, and more!
The Life of A.A. Milne
Alan Alexander Milne was born in London, England in 1882. He graduated from Cambridge College in 1903 and started a career freelance writing. Famous science fiction author H.G. Wells was one of Milne's greatest teachers and influences. A.A. Milne was also an exceptional sketch artist, and his first book was published in 1905. Throughout is young career, he wrote plays, edited publications, and wrote several books. When he was 42, he published a children's book containing poems and short stories. In 1926 he published Winnie The Pooh as a set of short stories. His son was the inspiration for character Christopher Robin, and Pooh represented a stuffed bear he gave him as a gift. Soon, this lovable bear and his adventures became a staple in children's literature, and eventually an icon for kids everywhere.
Author Biography – A thorough biography of A.A. Milne, with a focus on his written works.
Milne's Life and Work – A brief synopsis of the author's life and work.
The Real Christopher Robin
Christopher Robin is the son of author A.A. Milne. When he turned one year old, he received a teddy bear as a gift and named it Edward. When his parents took him to the London zoo, he saw a real bear and called it "Winnie." This bear became his father's inspiration for Winnie The Pooh. As he grew older, he was mostly raised by a nanny, spending minimal time with his parents, although he enjoyed helping contribute to his father's short stories. As he grew older, Christopher Robin wanted to join the army during the World War II period, but was rejected due to a failed medical examination. As Christopher Robin got older, he somewhat resented his father's portrayal of him in the Pooh books, and saw it as an exploitation of his childhood.
Biography – An in-depth biography of Christopher Milne, along with some photographs.
Timeline – This site offers a timeline-based biography of Christopher Robin along with rare photos.
Illustrator E.H. Shepard
Everyone recognizes Winnie The Pooh by his famous pot-belly, jolly laugh, and big bear smiles. None of this would be possible without the help of Milne's illustrator E.H. Shepard. He was interested in art at a young age, and was soon illustrating for well-known stories and books such as David Copperfield. When he began drawing Pooh, he received a share of the royalties that Milne received for the books. As the Pooh series became popular, his works were exhibited in museums around the world. An oil painting Shepard did of Winnie sold at auction for over $200,000.
Sketches– This page features some Winnie the Pooh sketches, as well as information on how they developed.
The Man Who Drew Pooh – A whimsical biography of E.H. Shepard, the man who made Winnie The Pooh come to life.
Where Pooh Lives
The setting for the Winnie The Pooh books is called Hundred Acre Wood. This forest backdrop was named by Milne, and represented their family vacation getaway. Cotchford Farm near East Sussex England was the actual setting, and an area of woods exists there called the Five Hundred Acre Wood. All of the animal character’s homes exist in Hundred Acre Wood including Owl’s house, the bee tree, Roo’s favorite place to play called the Sandy Pit, Pooh Bear’s house, and many other settings in which the Pooh stories take place. Milne enjoyed spending time in the real woods in which the stories inspired him, and many places within it are actual spots where he created different tales.
Map – This image displays E.H. Shepard’s depiction of a map of Hundred Acre Wood.
Ashdown Forest – Discover more about Ashdown Forest, the “real” Hundred Acre Wood.