Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick and Illustrated by Sophie Blackall won the Caldecott Medal this year. That is the award given to the the artist with the best aka "most distinguished" work for that year.
In my book review I give Finding Winnie 5 out of 5 Stars. I do think the artwork is beautiful and fits the time period of the book perfectly; I love the cover as well. However, I think the story line of this book is the real winner. The writing is great, and the story is the sweetest story ever. I love the true story of how Winnie a bear found by a Vetrinarian in WWI found his way to the London Zoo, made a friend named Christopher Robin, and became the famous Winnie- the- Pooh bear. Really, the story is great, and I am glad that such a fun story won an award even if the illustrations weren't my favorite part of the book.
Teachers and librarians will love to read aloud this sweet story, but the story is a bit long for the younger kids that struggle with that. Finding Winnie reminds me a lot of the Library Lion; it's a longer story but a super sweet and amazing book kids of all ages love if they have the attention span for it.
The World War I aspect of the story made me think this book and it's historical aspects would be perfect for a 5th or 6th grade teacher and students. Many lessons, writing prompts, lesson ideas, and history/social studies lessons could branch off of this picture book.
Librarians should definitely add this book to their collections. It's a great read and worthy of the purchase.
Amazon had the following book description:
"Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. And she was a girl!
In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war.
Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey--from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England...
And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin.
Here is the remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh."
Happy Caldecott Medal Winning super sweet and true story reading!
If you haven't read this book you need to check it out! For those of you who have read it. What did you think?
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