Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh [Hardcover]

This heartwarming story, paired with evocative illustrations, brings to life the story of the real bear who inspiredWinnie the Pooh--the perfect gift for the 100th anniversary of the beloved storybook.

When Harry Colebourn saw a baby bear for sale at the train station, he knew he could care for it. Harry was a veterinarian. But he was also a soldier in training for World War I. Harry named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, his company's home town, and he brought her along to the training camp in England. Winnie followed Harry everywhere and slept under his cot every night. Before long, she became the regiment's much-loved mascot.

But who could care for the bear when Harry had to go to the battleground in France? Harry found just the right place for Winnie while he was away -- the London Zoo. There a little boy named Christopher Robin--who would inspire the character of the same name in theWinnie the Poohbooks--came along and cared for the beloved bear.

Sally M. Walkeris the author of the ALA NotableBlizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917. She is also the author ofWritten in Bone,Fossil Fish Found Alive, andSecrets of a Civil War Submarine, which was awarded a Sibert Medal. She lives in Illinois.

Jonathan D. Vosswas a portrait artist and graphic designer before becoming a children's book illustrator. He lives in North Carolina with his family. Winnie is his first book.

Beautifully illustrated with humanistic, old-fashioned washes, Walker's true tale is a low-key heart warmer about an unexpected interspecies bond. Booklist

Readers will be captivated by the fictionalized picture book account of the bear that eventually became the inspiration for A.A. Milne's acclaimed Winnie-the-Pooh series. School Library Journal

Ideal for Winnie the Pooh fans, this clear, straighlˆ