By Lindsay Mattick Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Reviewed by Susan Kay Phillips
Sometimes one act of kindness can ripple out across a whole society, even the whole world. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear, is the story of one such act of kindness.
Our story begins in 1914. World War I had begun. Young Harry Colebourn, a recent graduate of Ontario Veterinary College, was practicing in Winnipeg, Canada. Harry volunteered early for military service and was assigned to Fort Garry Horse to provide care for Canadian cavalry horses.
On his way to military training, Harry traveled with many other Canadian soldiers on a transport train from Winnipeg to eastern Canada. When the train reached White River, Ontario, Harry decided to step off the train and stretch his legs. Walking on the train platform, he saw an elderly man with a baby. A closer look revealed the man had a baby bear on a leash.
The baby bear had obviously lost its mother. Harry’s heart went out to the little bear. He walked to and fro on the train platform debating what to do. His head told him his idea was impractical but his heart won. Harry stepped up to the elderly man and offered him $20 for the little bear, quite a handsome price, about $550 in today’s currency. Harry named the little bear Winnipeg, Winnie for short.
Back on the train, Harry’s commanding officer was shocked Harry would bring a “most dangerous creature” onto the train but as the Colonel was speaking, gentle Winnie stood up on her hind legs and offered a friendly greeting. This melted the Colonel’s heart and charmed Harry’s fellow soldiers. Winnie quickly became the beloved mascot of Harry’s unit, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade. When it was time to ship out to England, Winnie went with Harry and her soldier friends.
After training on the Salisbury Plain in England, it was time for Harry’s brigade to embark from England to France. Harry realized that Winnie would not be safe and could not go. He quickly made arrangements with the London Zoo for Winnie to be cared for there. On December 9, 1914, Harry drove Winnie to the London Zoo, where he said a sad farewell. “Even if we’re apart, I’ll always love you. You’ll always be my Bear”, he told Winnie.
Now, the second part of this amazing story unfolded. At the zoo, Winnie made a new, special friend, a little boy named Christopher Robin Milne. Christopher Robin had a toy bear at home named Edward, but Winnie was a real bear. He was fascinated by Winnie and they soon became friends.
Because Winnie was such a gentle bear, Christopher Robin was allowed to go in her cage and play with her, give her treats, and ride on her back. Christopher Robin’s father, Alan Alexander Milne, began to write stories about Winnie, calling her by the new name Christopher Robin had coined, Winnie-the-Pooh. As we know, the rest is history.
After the war, Harry Colebourn returned to the London Zoo to see Winnie. He could tell she was happy and loved by the staff and patrons of the zoo. That had always been Harry’s goal for Winnie, for her to be loved and cared for, so he transferred ownership of Winnie permanently to the London Zoo.
Harry Colebourn returned to Winnipeg and became a practicing veterinarian there. Winnie became famous and was a favorite at the zoo, much beloved by many children and adults. She lived at the London Zoo until her death in 1934.
The illustrations by Sophie Blackall made for the book won the Caldecott medal, and well deserved. Blackall’s expertly detailed illustrations reflect the somber tone of the times while at the same time brilliantly showing Harry’s love for Winnie, Christopher Robin’s fascination with Winnie, and Winnie’s engaging personality.
Reviewer’s Note
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World‘s Most Famous Bear, is structured as a story in a unique way. Winnie’s story is told by the author, Lindsay Mattick, to her son Cole as a bedtime tale. Mattick is the real-life great-granddaughter of Harry Colebourn. This family history storyline becomes the background framework of the entire book. The story of Harry finding Winnie and adopting her is, of course, the second story. Winnie’s friendship with Christopher Robin Milne and Winnie’s subsequent fame is the third story. Sifts between the three storylines are handled well, and are marked by Blackall’s skillful changes in illustration style.
A charming addition is a collection of memorabilia placed at the end as an “Album”. Mattick includes a picture of her great-grandfather Colebourn as a young soldier along with pictures of Colebourn and his fellow soldiers interacting with Winnie. She adds a dash of historical drama by showcasing the page from Colebourn’s diary dated August 24,1914 where he makes a notation, “bought bear, $20”. There are also pictures of Christopher Robin at the London Zoo playing with Winnie.
Harry Colebourn’s intuition to purchase Winnie saved the little bear, but also provided a link, through her name, Winnipeg, to the home that he and his fellow soldiers were leaving behind. Soldiers in his brigade often had their pictures taken with Winnie to send home to their families. Winnie became a little island of friendliness and energy in the midst of a time of anxiety and struggle. Another kindness.
The above photo is from Wikipedia and is noted to be in the public domain.
To learn more about Winnie’s stay at the London Zoo, view this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdOymRprTqM
Thank you for reading!
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