The True Story Of Winnie The Pooh And Her Pal, Christopher Robin

[Joe Shlabotnik]

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In 1914, a Canadian veterinarian on his way to treat World War I battlefield horses got off his train on a platform in White River, Ontario, and saw a bear cub. Actually, it was a bear cub tied to a string, held by a trapper. Against his better judgement, the vet bought the bear for $20 and re-boarded the train.
(Courtesy Mattick Family)

He named the bear Winnie, after his native Winnipeg, and continued to the east coast of Canada, where he boarded a ship — with Winnie and his new regiment — to England.

The bear stayed with him, becoming a regiment mascot, through months of battlefield training in miserable weather. But when the time came to deploy to France, he realized that Winnie would not be safe. He brought her to the London Zoo, which agreed to care for Winnie for the duration of the war.

That real-life bear, represented in statues in London and Winnipeg, as well as in historical photos and documents, is the one now known as Winnie the Pooh. And as readers find out in Canadian author Lindsay Mattick‘s new picture book “Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear,” there really was a Christopher Robin too! Mattick, it turns out, is the great grand-daughter of that Canadian veterinarian and knew her family’s story needed to be told.

Listened to this on NPR the other day and it was a great little interview, the link can be found at: https://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/11/04/true-story-of-pooh

[Live and Learn]

1. Interesting. K&R nt

[polly7]

2. Have always loved this. nt.