I really enjoyed getting to learn about the creators of Winnie the Pooh, it really brought the time-period perfectly and thought it did a great job in bringing the people to life. Andrew Norman was able to weave a strong story and was glad everything had that research and writing style that I was looking for.

Andrew Norman’s The Creators of Winnie the Pooh is partly about Pooh’s author, A A Milne, and his illustrator, E H Shephard. The first few chapters, however, give some brief details about several other children’s authors from a “Golden Age”, such as Kenneth Grahame, Lewis Carroll, Edith Nesbitt and Beatrix Potter. This section really feels as though Norman is assessing authors with a ticklist, as he tells us which authors anthropomorphised their characters; which ones featured children without mothers; and various other characteristics. Although the information is interesting, I didn’t understand why it was being presented. If the author had given us a few sentences at the beginning, laying out the structure of the book and explaining that he was going to firstly set out the context of children’s literature in late Victorian and Edwardian times before discussing Milne and Shepherd, it would have helped. I found that plunging straight into the views of Roger Lancelyn Green (who he?) and then the list of other authors was quite confusing.

The book could perhaps be more focussed. “Kipling wrote The Jungle Book, which was followed by a plethora of novels, short stories, and poems.” That is undoubtedly true, but I suspect none of the novels; the minority of the short stories; and few of the poems were for children, so is that relevant? The publishers should have assigned an assertive / persuasive editor to this book, who could have taken the author out to tea and given him the benefit of their experience. I suspect their instructions might have sounded like this….

“You have lots of very interesting research and this book is the ideal place to share it. You tell the reader some good stuff. However, think about your reader. They probably don’t need to be told that The House at Pooh Corner is a Winnie the Pooh book by A A Milne. Think about the order in which you tell ‘em stuff. Milne talks about “dog games”, which will puzzle people, so don’t wait for several pages before explaining the term. Re-read what you’ve written – carefully! For example, ‘By 1906, Shephard had […], while at the same time working as an illustrator on the staff of Punch (from 1921).’ How could Ernest Shepherd have done something by 1906 at the same time as doing something else from 1921? You describe the real-life Winnie as losing her mother but a few pages later, you say ‘her father’. Such anomalies may not be significant for the narrative, but they matter because the reader thinks ‘Ummm… Given these careless mistakes, how much can I trust this author?’ Finally… if this is meant to be a serious history - which I think it is - please, in the name of Eeyore, Piglet and Roo, please, please, please, don’t use exclamation marks. It really detracts from the gravitas of the work.”

This is a worthwhile book and it deserves to be read – there is a lot of interesting research in it – but it also deserves to be re-written. If you’re interested in Milne and Shepherd, do buy it and read it, but you made need to grit your teeth first.

#TheCreatorsofWinniethePooh #NetGalley

WoW, Wishes do come true.............and I loved reading the Winnie the Pooh books when I was younger and still do with my nephew.....These are books that never grow old and still a joy to read.

The Creators of Winnie the Pooh by Andrew Norman was a wonderful book especially as it took me down memory lane and explore the great Winnie The Pooh all over again with my Nephew O. I have still got my Teddy my mum bought me when I was a 5 years old and called him after this famous bear. Yes, He sat with us whilst I was reading and telling my nephew all about him.

In 1962, children’s writer Roger Lancelyn Green coined the phrase ‘The Golden Age of Children’s Books’. A. A. Milne’s two Winnie-the-Pooh books, published in 1926 and 1928, which were so beautifully illustrated by artist and book illustrator E. H. Shepard, fall into this category. Milne was clearly motivated to compose his Winnie-the-Pooh stories in order to entertain his young son. However, Christopher Robin came to resent the fact that his father had used his real first names as the names of Pooh’s owner in the books. Was there a deeper reason why Milne created Winnie-the-Pooh? Possibly yes. The author had served as a soldier in the First World War, and by creating Pooh and his ‘Hundred Acre Wood’, he had created a world into which he could withdraw whenever he chose, and thereby mitigate the post-traumatic stress disorder which all military combatants suffer, to a greater or lesser degree. The same applied to Shepard, who also served in that conflict. Having been given the Pooh books as a child, I re-read them as an adult and laughed just as uproariously as I had done all those years ago. Up until then, it had never occurred to me to enquire about their author A. A. Milne and about their illustrator E. H. Shepard. I now decided that it was time to put matters right!

This book is a must have read for new or old fans and a great book to look at now and then to reminisce over a great Yellow bear who stole our hearts so many years ago, A wonderful read.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and White Owl - Pen & Sword for my ARC.

This is a mess.
Winnie the Pooh author, A.A. Milne and artist, E.H. Shephard certainly had interesting lives, but this book is badly produced, tonally all over the place and poorly written. There are vast chunks of text, quoted from other books throughout and whole chapters devoted to discussing the lives of other children's authors who have nothing to do with the book's subject. There are pictures of the Disney versions of Milne's characters throughout (which have nothing to do with and do not resemble in any way, Shepherd's versions) and Norman inserts unnecessary exclamation marks at the end of so may sentences that it's easy to believe he thinks he's writing a children's book himself.
As I say, a mess.

On The Creators of Winnie the Pooh by Andrew Norman

Andrew Norman’s The Creators of Winnie the Pooh offers a profound exploration of the lives and relationships that gave birth to one of the most beloved children’s book series of all time. The book seamlessly intertwines the biographies of author A.A. Milne, illustrator E.H. Shepard, and Christopher Robin Milne, shedding light on the personal and cultural contexts that shaped the creation and legacy of Winnie the Pooh. Through vivid storytelling and a collection of historical photographs, including the real-life toys that inspired the characters, Norman presents a nuanced portrait of creativity, fame, and its costs.

A Great Age for Children’s Literature

The book opens by situating Winnie the Pooh in the "golden age" of children’s literature, when works like Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan captured the imaginations of young readers. Milne and Shepard’s collaboration began under the auspices of a shared connection to Punch magazine, a hub for literary and artistic talent in early 20th-century Britain. Norman provides valuable insight into how this professional relationship blossomed into an enduring creative partnership, with Shepard’s delicate, evocative illustrations becoming inseparable from Milne’s gentle, whimsical prose.

A Story Shaped by War and Family Struggles

One of the book’s most striking elements is its depiction of the far-reaching impact of war on the creators’ lives. Both Milne and Shepard served in World War I, and Norman deftly examines how their wartime experiences influenced their creative output. The pastoral serenity of the Hundred Acre Wood, for example, can be seen as a response to the chaos and destruction they had witnessed.

Norman also delves deeply into the complicated dynamics of the Milne family. Christopher Robin Milne, the inspiration for the eponymous character, emerges as a poignant figure. Far from being a willing participant in his father’s literary success, Christopher struggled with the public’s conflation of his real-life identity with the fictionalized “Christopher Robin.” This unwanted fame strained his relationship with his parents and left lasting scars, as Norman illustrates with sensitivity and thorough research.

A Legacy Fraught with Ambivalence
Norman paints an unvarnished picture of the personal toll of Winnie the Pooh’s success. While A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard achieved immortality through their work, their relationships with their families and the world around them were deeply affected. Shepard’s role, often overshadowed by Milne’s authorship, is given due recognition, highlighting how his illustrations brought Pooh and his friends to life.

The book’s conclusion, featuring photographs of Christopher Robin’s childhood toys, serves as a bittersweet reminder of the enduring magic of Winnie the Pooh and the complex realities behind its creation. These images ground the fantastical stories in reality, underscoring the interplay of imagination and real-life inspiration.

Conclusion

The Creators of Winnie the Pooh is a richly detailed and emotionally resonant examination of the creative and familial forces behind a literary classic. Andrew Norman succeeds in offering readers a deeper appreciation for Milne and Shepard’s contributions to children’s literature while also presenting an unflinching look at the personal costs of fame. By contextualizing the creation of Winnie the Pooh within broader historical and personal narratives, the book invites readers to reflect on the often-overlooked humanity behind iconic works of art. For fans of the series and students of literary history alike, this is an essential read that enriches our understanding of a cultural treasure.

The Golden age of children’s literature began with Alice in wonderland (1865) and ended with Winnie the Pooh (1926h-and House at Pooh Corner (1928.)

This book is a history of that era and the creation of Winnie-the-Pooh. The facts are very entertaining and I learned a lot. Though told in a very dry fashion I still enjoyed the read.

A fascinating and fun look at the writer and illustrator of the original Winnie the Pooh stories. Can be read by anyone at any age, and even if you've never read the original stories, you'll come away having learned many new things.