{Review} Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

Page Count: 161

Published on: October 14, 1926

Published by: Puffin Books

Genre(s): Childrens, Fiction, Classic, Fantasy, YA, European Literature

Source: Paperback - personally purchased

Age Rating: All ages

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

For nearly seventy years, readers have been delighted by the adventures of Christopher Robin and his lovable friends.  Paired with the perfectly suited drawings of Ernest H.  Shepard, A.A. Milne's classic story continues to captivate children of all ages.

~~~

"What day is it?"
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh."

Hey, guys!

     Winnie the Pooh has been such a huge part of my childhood, my teens, and my early adult life. I'm pretty sure Pooh's stories will never leave me. I'm not sure why I've never read Milne's books before, as this one was just fantastic. Reading Winnie the Pooh for the first time was such a huge nostalgia trip. I kept flashing back to when my sisters and I would crowd on the couch to watch the Pooh movies and sing along to the little songs at the top of our lungs. I'm definitely just going to need to get the movies out again and spend a few hours rewatching them. 

     Reading Winnie the Pooh, I realized that A.A. Milne was a really wise and loving person. He originally wrote told the stories to his son Christopher Robin, and later they were written and published. The stories are so wonderfully simple and sweet. The characters - Christopher Robin, Pooh Bear, Piglet, Rabbit (and his relations), Kanga, Roo, Owl, and Eeyore --- were so great to read about. While reading this I noticed that every little character had some kind of unconventional "issue". Pooh was naive, Piglet was fearful, Owl is a bit narcissistic, Rabbit is obsessive compulsive, Kanga is a single mom, Roo is hyper-active, and Eeyore is depressed. They were just so realistic for a children's book. Everyone has their own baggage and I think it was important for Christopher Robin (and the readers) to see people/characters like this. 

     I absolutely adored the writing style of this book. It was very simple and sweet. You can tell that A.A. Milne wrote this for his little son. The love he felt for him permeates every page. The tone and the humor used in the book is quite old fashioned (hello, 1920's charm!), but I just loved it. The stories are timeless and I just want to curl up with my little sisters and cousins and just read these stories to them. No doubt, they would love them. 

     If you grew up with Disney and Pooh Bear and you've never read the stories, then I highly recommend you read these. Disney, naturally, is much more optimistic and cheerful when it comes to the characters. The original, I find is a bit darker, but still has the hope and love that the movies and show had. I think everyone should read this book. I know I will definitely read more Pooh stories. 

Happy reading!

Olivia
~LivTheBookNerd~

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