The four Pooh books created by A. A. Milne and Ernest H. Shepard have long been cherished by children and adults. These stories - starring the round, endearing Bear of Little Brain and his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Christopher Robin, and others - are as popular today as when they first enchanted readers more than seventy years ago.
A. A. Milne (1882–1956) was an English playwright, poet, and author. He served in both World Wars, but in peacetime devoted himself to writing. He is best known for his Winnie-the-Pooh books, which were inspired by his son, Christopher Robin Milne.
Ernest Shepard (1879–1976) was an English painter and book illustrator. Encouraged by his parents to pursue art, he attended the Royal Academy Schools and began his career illustrating for Punch magazine. During the First World War, he aided the Intelligence Department by sketching combat areas, and he was later awarded the Military Cross for his service with the Royal Artillery. In addition to his work as an artist, Shepard wrote two autobiographies and two novels for children. He is best remembered for his anthropomorphic animal illustrations inThe Wind and the Willows and the Winnie-the-Pooh series.
Hometown:
Cotchford Farm, Sussex, England
Date of Birth:
January 18, 1882
Date of Death:
January 31, 1956
Place of Birth:
Hampstead, London
Place of Death:
Cotchford Farm, Sussex, England
Education:
Trinity College, Cambridge University (mathematics), 1903
It’s nearing 8 p.m. on a midsummer’s eve, and while there’s not a wide eyelid in the house, your crew’s obviously not going down without a story or two. However, Corduroy’s found his button enough already, the pigeon has certainly driven the bus, and Pooh Bear’s fed his honey habit for ages—it’s time for something […]
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Remember how our parents used to tuck us in at night and send us off to dreamland with stories of a woman the size of a mastadon punishing kids by placing them inside a tiny cupboard studded with nails and broken glass? Or the eccentric proprietor of a magical candy wonderland…that just might kill you? […]
Generations of young readers have loved Winnie-the-Pooh, although this classic’s appeal goes beyond the childhood years. When this lovable character was first introduced in 1926, Pooh offered comfort and solace during wartime. The classic story about a bear and his friends—Tigger, Piglet, Owl, and Eeyore—soon became an international hit, with books published in more than […]
While realistic stories about childhood experiences are lovely, so are tales in which animals talk and muffins walk; books that offer a glimpse of a sillier, more whimsical world than the one we inhabit. Of course, as kids grow up, they learn to separate fact from fiction; to realize that dogs don’t play tennis or wear extravagant hats […]
