January 18th is A.A. Milne’s birthday, celebrated as National Winnie the Pooh Day. Milne masterfully captured the precious innocence of the young child’s imagination in a way that is at once charming, hilarious and breathtakingly loving.
Experiencing these stories again as a parent of young children has been such a privilege. I can envision my own daughters romping through the hundred acre wood with Pooh with such clarity it is as if the stories have been written about our family instead of about sweet Christopher Robin.
The chatter between boy and animals is logical and true in the delightful way of an imaginative child, and I can almost hear the words tumbling out in a cherubic four-year old girl’s voice. I have burst out laughing and smiled along with Mr. Milne with parental pride and adoration.
Even the dedication of one of the books brings me to tears. The words spring into my mind every time I flip through images of my children playing, laughing, and growing without waiting for me to be “ready”.
“It would be my present to you, my sweet, if it weren’t your gift to me”.
(A.A. Milne, in his dedication of The House at Pooh Corner)
The stories of Christopher Robin and his troupe of friendly forest animals were indeed a gift to Christopher Robin, who must have recognized in the words the depth of his father’s love. How much more so were they a gift to his doting father, who in writing them beautifully preserved the magic of his son’s childhood.
Certainly every child should experience the magical Hundred Acre Wood and its residents, as a glorious story to be reenacted and retold. Possibly even more so, these books should be enjoyed by parents- they are a reminder that a young imagination is to be treasured and encouraged. They are a reminder that these days, with babies and stuffed bears and boo boos, are magical and fleeting. The stories are a little pause in time, a pocket to step into: to remember, to grasp, to enjoy.
That is definitely worth celebrating!
Planning and links:
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As you know, I always favor simple celebrations to those involving themes and complication. We celebrate this lovely day by sharing the stories as we sip herbal tea (with hunny, of course) and eat a snack. I might set up some coloring pages and crayons for my girls, and I make sure that Stomp has a box of wooden blocks or Lego Duplo. We read aloud or listen until our bellies are satisfied and our imaginations are full.
If you don’t already have copies of these books, they are easily found at your local library. I am a rabid collector of books, and so I have a hardcover set of each of the books.
However, the recording by Peter Dennis for Blackstone Audio is by far the best way to experience these books. The narrator makes the animals absolutely come to life, and he conveys the nuances of the text superbly. I cannot give it a higher recommendation (Athough, if you need one, Christopher Robin himself authorized only this recording). You can buy the entire set on CD here or each individual book on Audible via Amazon (links below).
- Winnie-the-Pooh (Volume 1) You can listen to this entire volume for free using your Amazon Prime membership! Go to the audiobook’s product page, and when there, you can type in your mobile number to send the audiobook to the free Audible app. From there you can listen for free. If you don’t have an Amazon Prime membership, you can get a 30-day free trial by clicking here: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial
Older children and adults might like to hear Mr. Milne himself! Here is a link to an NPR feature which includes a very short recording from 1929.
Here, here, and here are links to Classic (Original) Winnie the Pooh images that you can print and color. These are basically pictures from the books that you and your child may enjoy coloring while listening to the audio books.
If you run out of original artwork coloring material, you can easily find Disney’s Winnie the Pooh images are all over the internet. Simply search on Google Images or Yahoo Images and select your favorite.
For snacks, consider serving herbal tea with plenty of honey and sliced apples or popcorn.
Thank you for this Courtney. I remember the Winnie the Pooh books fondly.
Glad you liked it, Dad! 🙂 Xo
Courtney… it is almost impossible for me to choose a favorite post from all the wonderful ones on my favorite blog, but if I were to choose one it would be this. I love and admire how thoughtfully, simply, intentionally, and lovingly you celebrate and cultivate what is meaningful to your family. We’re so fortunate to have this peek into the lives of your young children and your heart as their mother. I just love it all… your photo of the hundred acre wood… childhood’s sweet wonder… I too have loved Milne’s books since girlhood and read them to Claire when she was in the womb. 🙂 I’m looking forward so much to welcoming some of your beautiful family traditions into our home, as the years go on!
Andrea, thank you for your kind, kind words. I read them several times! I hope you will create many treasured memories, sweet friend!