Introduction
The author of the book “Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear” uses it to share her family’s history and connection to the creation of Winnie-the-Pooh. She dwells mostly on how her great-grandfather Harry Colebourn, a Canadian veterinarian, purchased a bear cub from a hunter (Mattick, 2015). Harry named the cub bear Winnie after his Hometown and brought her to England. The author of “Finding Winnie” uses a first-person point of view to tell the story of her great-grandfather, Captain Harry Colebourn. This perspective makes it easy to narrate the events and scenes experienced by the protagonist.
Author’s Purpose
The author’s primary goal in writing the book is to share the fascinating truth behind the creation of Winnie-the-Pooh. In other words, she does not focus on explaining a technical subject or convincing the reader of a belief’s validity. Through sharing the story behind Winnie-the-Pooh story, Mattick highlights the sacrifices made by soldiers in World War I, the importance of human-animal bonds, and how storytelling makes children comfortable and happy. In addition to sharing the story behind the creation of Winnie-the-Pooh, the author illustrates the role of the relationship between human beings and animals by showing how Winnie the Bear contributed to changing Harry’s life trajectory. Lastly, the book explores family history and relationships among its members from a broader perspective, such as life events, including work, love, and passion.
Target Audience
The book targets children and their parents, although it can be enjoyed by anyone passionate about the history behind Winnie-the-Pooh and the real-life events that inspired this classic children’s book. It uses a simple and accessible style, with colorful illustrations that appeal to young readers, but it also has interesting historical details that may attract adults’ attention. The author’s use of true-life experiences and their impact on overall decision-making makes the book more attractive to adults as they can easily use the example of Harry’s love for Winnie to teach important themes to their children.
The Success of the Book
In achieving its goals, “Finding Winnie” successfully explores the themes. The book is accessible and engaging, with attractive illustrations that bring the story to life. It tells a fascinating and heartwarming true story that will capture the hearts of readers of all ages, although primarily meant for children. Additionally, the author weaves together different threads of the story, from the personal story of Harry Colebourn and his bear to the history of the Canadian Army Veterinary Corps (Mattick, 2015). Lastly, the book offers extra information and historical context in the author’s note at the end, which contributes to the learning value of the book.
Author’s Style
On the other hand, the author’s style is informal and conversational, which makes the book accessible to young and adult readers. The author shows originality by including personal details and narrations about her family’s connection to the story in every part. Generally, “Finding Winnie” is an excellent book that achieves its goals of entertaining and educating readers of all ages. The author’s informal writing style is engaging and accessible, and the book is beautifully illustrated. It is a worthy recipient of the Caldecott Medal.
Genre and Presentation
The genre of “Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear” by Lindsay Mattick is a children’s picture book, precisely, a biographical storybook. The book details a true story of how a Canadian soldier adopted and named a black bear cub during World War I and how the bear inspired A.A. Milne’s beloved Winnie-the-Pooh character. He uses pictures and illustrations to make the story livelier and more attractive.
Recommendation
This book “Finding Winnie” perfectly suits both children and adults, especially those who enjoy reading about history and true stories. The story’s presentation is engaging and heartwarming, and the illustrations used are charming and enhance the narrative. Similarly, the book provides an opportunity for the readers to learn about the origins of Winnie-the-Pooh, a beloved children’s character, and the background context of World War I. The book is a heartwarming and educational story for both children and adults. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a charming and informative story. In addition, this book can be recommended to other readers because it provides background information about a great fictional character. The book has a simple style and appealing illustrations that attract young readers.
Conclusion
The book “Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear” has positively affected me, as it highlighted the relationship bond between humans and animals and how, sometimes, unforeseen friendships can change one’s experiences. I relate to the theme of the human-animal bond because I love pets and view them as great companions in life. Additionally, it strengthened my belief that animals should be cared for and treated with human love.
I will use this book to educate children about history and precisely show them that animals play a central role in human relationships and how they can unite families. Initially, I did not know about Winnie-the-Pooh as a fictional character and did not know what inspired this character. However, after reading the book, I deeply understand the real-life events that led to the creation of this great fictional character.
Reference
Mattick, L. (2015). Finding Winnie: The true story of the World’s most famous bear. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.