Finding Winnie

Mattick, L. (2015). Finding Winnie. New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company.

Harry is a homesick solider sent overseas from Canada to fight in World War I. On the way he sees a man with a bear. Being that Harry is a veterinarian, he buys the bear and takes him with him on the train on the way to Europe. He names the bear Winnie to remind him of his home Winnipeg. Winnie becomes a mascot for the troop. When he gets too big to take care of, Harry sends him to the London Zoo. A young boy name Christopher Robin befriends the bear and his father sees the friendship and records their exploits. This becomes the inspiration for the Winnie the Pooh stories.  The story outside of this story is a mother telling a story to her son. The narrator is Harry Colebourn's relative. She is telling the boy story of their family's history and how she picked his name.

This is a sweet story to give a back story on a beloved character. It is appropriate for very young audiences. They would enjoy seeing someone with a bear as a pet.