A Veterinarian's Hands, A War And A Child's Love For Bears

I like to think that even in the most fabulous, fantastical piece of fiction there is a shred of truth.  Perhaps the writer saw, heard, smelled, tasted or touched something real which triggered a thought carefully saved in their memory or journal.  All stories start with a single captured moment.

If we are fortunate enough to read a story, an entire story, so wonderful it feels like fiction even though it is based upon fact, we have been given a gift.  Finding Winnie:  The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear (Little, Brown and Company, October 20, 2015) written by Lindsay Mattick with illustrations by Sophie Blackall is one of those books.  It's about chance, choice, connections and love.

"Could you tell me a story?" asked Cole.
"It's awfully late."  It was long past dark, and time to be asleep.
"What kind of story?"
"You know.  A true story.  One about a Bear."
We cuddled up close.
"I'll do my best," I said.

A mother begins a story to her son Cole.  It takes place at least one hundred years before the boy is born.  It's about a veterinarian named Harry Colebourn.  It's said the warmth in Harry's heart moves to guide his skillful hands in caring for all animals.  A war in Europe extends its influence across the ocean to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where Harry lives and works.  Harry leaves his home to care for the horses used in this war.

After the train carrying the soldiers weaves through the countryside for several days a stop is made at White River.  Strolling along the platform Harry sees a bear cub tied alongside a man, a trapper.  Reaching into his pocket, kindness guiding a decision, the veterinarian offers the man twenty dollars for the young animal.  As you can imagine, the Colonel is initially shocked by Captain Colebourn's actions.  The rest of the men in his regiment are intrigued and thrilled with the bear's antics. The bear is given the name of Winnipeg, Winnie for short.

Winnie is never far from Harry as he works in the special tent, among many as far as the eye can see, designated for horses. He makes sure she acts like a proper solider and her skills surpass those of her human counterparts when it comes to finding something.  When all those men and all those horses sail for Europe, Winnie sails with them too.  She is the mascot for the men.

When the orders are issued for the men to join the fight in France, Harry makes another choice.  His love for Winnie is greater than his need to be with her.  She is placed in the London Zoo.  Young Cole can't believe this is the end of Winnie's and Harry's tale, but it is.  It is NOT the end of Winnie's story.  Nor is it the end of Harry's story.

A boy looking for a name for his stuffed bear visits the zoo, spying the bear cub and thinking her name would be the perfect for his beloved toy.  Again and again he returns; allowed inside the enclosure to be close to Winnie.  His adventures with his stuffed bear, inspired by Harry Colebourn's Winnie, are written down by the boy's father, A. A. Milne.

Happily Harry returns home to Winnipeg tending the animals under his care.  His son has a daughter who has a daughter who has a son named...Cole.  One man's love, one boy's love and one father's love are linked forever.


If you've ever read aloud to a child or a group of children, even though you are speaking and they are listening, there is an exchange taking place and a bond is being formed.  If they are comfortable with you, questions will be quietly asked during pauses or blurted out loud as curiosity overwhelms them. Lindsay Mattick writes with a natural and knowing voice both in the conversations between Cole and her and as she is relating the story of Winnie and Harry and Winnie and Christopher Robin.  Her words flow effortlessly as one who is familiar with the truth and with the wisdom of life experiences.  Here is a sample portion of a passage which resonates on many levels.

"Sometimes," I said, "you have to let one story end so the next one can begin."
"How do you know when that will happen?"
"You don't," I said.  "Which is why you should always carry on."


You can't help but marvel at the genius of the dust jacket as designed and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. On the front Winnie is looking right at the reader as she might have looked at Harry Colebourn when he first saw her.  She clings to his boot knowing he will care for her.  To the left, on the back, the blue and white pajama leg of a child and a part of their top is visible. In their hand is a teddy bear.  It's the two Winnies.  If you read a tweet below you can learn how the background was chosen.

Across the book case left to right are seven marching soldiers in a line silhouetted against a sky blushed in either a rising or setting sun.  Birds fly above them as Winnie leads the way.  On the opening endpapers a lush forest scene, a stream winding through the trees, greets readers.  A lone fox looks up.  Another two-page spread for the title page shows us what is beyond the stream. A small bear cub looks down from a tree branch.  The closing endpapers complete six pages of a photo album highlighting actual photographs and memorabilia of Harry Colebourn, his regiment, statues of Harry and Winnie, Christopher Robin and Winnie and Lindsay and Cole.  By turning the book the verso can be read on the final page.

Rendered by Sophie Blackall in Chinese ink and watercolor on hot-press paper the illustrations sing out warmth and love.  The trees in the first two images are seen again as wallpaper in Cole's bedroom.  The colors and patterns selected for Lindsay's and Cole's clothing as well as the bedding, books and the shelves are a beautiful blend of shades and geometric bliss.

In the telling of Harry's and Winnie's and Winnie's and Christopher Robin's stories picture sizes vary spreading across the gutter to leave a column on either the left or right with an inset of Lindsay speaking with Cole within a small circle.  Sometimes an image will cover a single page edge to edge or a partial page leaving room for the narrative on the side or bottom.  Blackall groups three or six illustrations framed in cream to show the passage of time.  The layout and placement of pictures is wonderful.

The details readers see on every page will have them pausing to take notice; the cost of reading material on a rack at the train station, the engine number on the train, the military uniforms and tents, the initials on Harry's duffel bag, the scenery as Harry drives Winnie to London, the bird's eye view of the London Zoo and the comparison views of the soldiers leaving for Europe and their return home at the train station.   One of my many favorite pictures is of Harry first holding Winnie on the train after she has eaten a variety of food.  She is happily sucking on a bottle of condensed milk, humming away.  The other men watch, grinning and laughing.  In the midst of what was surely a frightening time for them Winnie provides a pleasant distraction, a reminder of home.


This book, Finding Winnie:  The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear, written by Harry Colebourn's great-granddaughter, Lindsay Mattick, with illustrations by Sophie Blackall is a stunning work of textual and pictorial storytelling.  Every reader, no matter their age, will find these tales touching their collective hearts.  It's all about being connected and we are...we truly are.  It would be interesting to compare this title with students along with Winnie:  The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh (Henry Holt and Company, January 20, 2015) written by Sally M. Walker with illustrations by Jonathan D. Voss.

To learn more about Sophie Blackall and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Update:  At Sophie Blackall's blog she has posted Finding Winnie, Part 1, The Making of Finding Winnie Part 2 and The Making of Finding Winnie Part 3.  At the publisher's website you can read an excerpt starting with the opening endpapers.  It's interesting to see the image chosen for the UK version book case.  At CBC Books is a nice graphic timeline.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson has a remarkable post about this title at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, One Picture-Book Roundtable Discussion Before Breakfast #4: Featuring the Women of Finding Winnie.  This link takes you to an educator's guide.  Historica Canada has a conversation with Lindsay Mattick.  Be sure to listen to PW KidsCast:  A Conversation with Lindsay Mattick and Sophie Blackall.

UPDATE:  After the announcement of Sophie Blackall winning the 2016 Caldecott Medal for this title she was interviewed at Publishers Weekly.

Enjoy the tweets below.

Today's #kidlit sticker advertises Finding Winnie: https://t.co/IjxAqZdzoe pic.twitter.com/NCvzHj54nX

— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) October 20, 2015

Fact! The cover of #findingwinnie is a nod to the pattern on a 1950 edition of #winniethepooh… https://t.co/CBIdfBU5S2

— lindsaymattick (@lindsaymattick) October 7, 2015

" I spent over a year working on Finding Winnie..." -@SophieBlackall http://t.co/5pmu3qtRFR pic.twitter.com/PGTycxgLQY

— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) September 7, 2015

It makes me smile that the vine of Lou Grant smelling @lindsaymattick's Finding Winnie has been viewed 13,200 times. https://t.co/QxiqHvpUVX

— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) August 8, 2015

My goal is to tell everyone about Finding Winnie:True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear. http://t.co/7TfnoeNzoX pic.twitter.com/yXIf2f87Je

— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) April 11, 2015

Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by Alyson Beecher to view the other choices in the 2015 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge by other bloggers.

A Hunter, A Bear, A Soldier, A Child

As children comfort is often sought in stuffed toys.  Security is portable; carried from place to place, always near when needed.  Losing a cherished plaything can be a real cause of concern.  Who else will listen in silence to all the secrets of your heart?  I'd be willing to bet most adults can remember their first favorite stuffed animal pal.  They might even still have them.

Teddy bears are one of the most popular having provided cozy cheer for children around the world for more than one hundred years.  This adoration has extended to bears as beloved characters in literature, timeless and classic in providing endless hours of enjoyment.  Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh (Henry Holt and Company, January 20, 2015) written by Sally M. Walker with illustrations by Jonathan D. Voss supplies readers with a remarkable set of events which set in motion a tale that has indeed endured.

When Harry Colebourn looked out of the train window, he couldn't believe what he saw:  a bear at the station!

During the train's short stop Harry met the man holding the bear's leash.  The cub introduced herself to Harry by climbing into Harry's lap.  Before the train continued its journey, for the price of twenty dollars, Harry was the bear's new keeper.  

Full of soldiers journeying to a military training camp in Quebec, the train's newest passenger, named Winnipeg for the company's hometown, felt right at home.  Winnie, her shortened name, followed Harry everywhere as he cared for the horses to be used in the war, World War I being fought overseas.  In Harry's spare time Winnie enjoyed a rousing game of find the biscuit.  

If Harry would go someplace Winnie could not, the other soldiers would gladly care for her during the day.  When Harry slept, Winnie did too, underneath Harry's cot.  A nearly collapsed tent taught Harry that Winnie needed to perfect her tree climbing skills.

When Harry and his company sailed to England with their horses and men guess who went with them on the ship?  As the war continued to escalate Harry and his company were asked to go to France next.  This time Winnie could not go.  Winnie needed to be safe.

Placing Winnie in the London Zoo was the hardest thing Harry had ever done but this kindness changed the lives of Harry, Winnie and children everywhere, even today.  She was so gentle she could be feed by spoon and children would sometimes ride her like a horse.  After four years of service during the war another hard decision was made by Harry before he went home to Winnipeg.  This second act of kindness allowed Winnie to live in the company of those who had cared for her deeply and a certain boy many years later to visit her.  

Through research Sally M. Walker relates to her audience the chance encounter of a veterinarian soldier and an orphaned bear.  She weaves her story together with single incidents and dialogue bringing readers into the lives of Harry Colebourn and Winnie in a very personal manner.  The telling of their developing relationship parallels the developments in the war, each growing stronger.  This builds to the decisions Harry makes in favor of what would be best for the bear.  His commitment to doing the right thing opened up a huge literary door.  Here is a sample passage from the book.

Harry's friends asked a million questions.

But the captain asked the loudest.  "Harry,

what in the world were you thinking?"

"That I had to save her."

Debut picture book illustrator Jonathan D. Voss using watercolor and pen and ink brings an emotional depth to this story.  When opening the matching dust jacket and book case readers can quickly see how loved and loving this bear is.  We first see her in the arms of Harry Colebourn after he buys her at the train station.  This is one of those moments when the pebble has been thrown with historic ripples beginning to fan outward.  I like how Voss frames the text but places Harry and Winnie as if they are walking by it.  On the back an interior image features children hugging Winnie at the London Zoo.  

On a blue marbleized background the opening and closing endpapers serve as a photo album for real snapshots of Harry, Winnie, the train station, the company of soldiers, Winnie at the zoo, the receipt issued when Harry took Winnie to London and A. A. Milne and Christopher Robin.  Beneath the title Voss has placed a smaller version of a picture of Harry with his arm around a larger Winnie.  They are seated side by side with their backs to us.  

Each picture softly bleeds into the white space surrounding it whether it spans across two pages, one page or is a series of smaller images portraying a single activity.  Careful placement of the text never detracts from the images; our eyes are drawn smoothly from the text to the pictures or vice versa.  A warm, subdued color palette of browns, golds, reds, greens, grays and pale blues allows us to easily step back in time.

Details on the uniforms, buildings, train, ship, military equipment, the London zoo and in Christopher Robin's room as his father tells stories add to the sense of us being a part of the events.  The fully animated features on all the characters are eloquent.  One of my favorite illustrations is a close-up of Harry sleeping soundly on his cot at the military camp.  His arm is hanging over the side in exhaustion.  Beneath the cot on his own bedding rests Winnie.  They are both on their sides facing the readers.  Night after night I sleep the same way with my hand reaching down to stroke Xena as she sleeps next to me.  Voss really gets the connection between this human and the bear.

Winnie:  The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh written by Sally M. Walker with illustrations by Jonathan D. Voss is a poignant portrait of a man whose single act of kindness will live on in history for as long as we read A. A. Milne's stories.  I know students in your classrooms, libraries and homes are going to love this book.  And you're going to love reading it to them too.  At the conclusion of the book is an author's note, list of sources, a website and a vintage video.

For more information about Sally M. Walker and Jonathan D. Voss please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  This link to the publisher's website allows you to see eight other pictures from the book.  For further information follow this link to Historica Canada to view a short video of what may have happened when Harry got Winnie and Christopher Robin first met Winnie.  This link takes you to a video clip housed at the Zoological Society of London website about Winnie.  Here are a couple of interesting articles:  The History of the Teddy Bear:  From Wet and Angry to Soft and Cuddly and A Point of View: The grown-ups with teddy bears. (This second one is fantastic.)  This appears to be an excellent site about Winnie-the-Pooh, The Page at Pooh Corner. 

This book was reviewed by Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library's Youth Materials Collections Specialist, author and blogger at A Fuse #8 Production today.  She lists other sources to view in connection with this title.

Once again I am thrilled to be participating in the 2015 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted at Kid Lit Frenzy by educator Alyson Beecher.  Without this challenge I might never have read this excellent book.