Continuing on from Winnie the Pooh, this classic sequel follows Christopher Robin and his make-believe friends as they have all sorts of commonplace yet extraordinary adventures all over the Hundred Acre Wood. Whether they are making new friends, playing games, or working together to solve a problem, there is always a resolution that teaches them (and their young readers) a little more about the world in the funniest, sweetest, and often silliest ways. This book is a gem of an independent read or read-aloud to be enjoyed by readers everywhere.
My thoughts on this book…
Writing Style
When I talk about style, I’m referring to what is professionally known as voice. How is the book written? With what tone and in what manner has the author chosen to tell you about his characters, his story, and ultimately himself?
“I’m face downwards under something, and that, Piglet, is a very bad position for looking at ceilings.”
The whole book is written like that and I don’t know a better way to describe it. Milne has a handle on elementary matter-of-factness, on innocent irony, on stating the obvious in such a way that is amusing to young and old intellects alike. Scarce to be found is a work of literature that so deftly combines the tenants of strong writing and childlike simplicity. It is a joy to follow Milne’s train of thought as he relays the events of each chapter—quaint, simple, trivial events—with both the whimsy of a child and the craft of a skillful writer.
The author’s voice in these pages captures the mirth and humor of youth and combines them with the elements of a well-written book and an understanding of the human heart and character.
Let me explain.
There are many revered elements that comprise any acclaimed work of writing—narrative writing, informative writing, persuasive writing, anything that is written down with any manner of form and purpose. Among these elements are: the use of figurative language, a strong vocabulary, coherent organization, and strong beginnings and endings (which I like to call “clever” or “creative”). Narrative works add to these the necessity of characters that are meaningful and relatable, a journey (the plot), and a theme—the story beneath the story, if you will. Authors use these elements as avenues of their creativity. With them, they grab and maintain our attention. They show us something about themselves, about us, about the world. They make us laugh, and cry, and feel things.
These are the books that writers like myself are longing to pen.
These are the books that are well-written.
Somehow, in his lighthearted writings about everyone’s favorite stuffed bear, Milne incorporates all of these characteristics. Milne’s style of writing is joyful and soulful; it is simple but profound; it is an entertaining glimpse into the forgotten thoughts of childhood; it is a merry journey.
The story is organized adeptly, chapters begin and end with creativity and cleverness, the characters are relatable, and their journey—while simple—has meaning nevertheless.
And as for Milne’s perceptive understanding of heart and character, anyone who’s ever given nervously but generously, anyone who’s been the benefactor of the generosity of others, anyone who’s felt left out or less than, anyone who’s planned their day around when and where they’d like to eat (or in my case, get iced coffee), anyone who’s ever had a treasured but imperfect friend, anyone who’s ever had to be brave when they were feeling anything but—in short, anyone who’s ever been human can find themselves in these characters and in these pages.
This is where it’s at. This book is raw talent disguised as a child’s plaything, a gem of literature hidden beneath the umbrella of “children’s books.”
Characters
The characters in this story are sweet, relatable, and entertaining. Watching them interact with each other and navigate the simple challenges and joys of the Hundred Acre Wood is a pleasure because in them you see a little of who you were as a child and a little of who you are today. That every character but Christopher Robin is a stuffed animal in no wise takes away from their ability to charm you, amuse you, and sometimes surprise you with their cleverness of tongue, bigness of heart, and deepness of character.
Story
I love a good story that can keep me entertained by telling me nothing.
That might sound like a sarcastic or derogatory remark, but it isn’t.
The hallmarks of most of my favorite books are not plot twists and intrigue. They are meaningful, relatable characters; they are witty words and clever dialogue; they are the adventures of everyday life relayed in manners sweet, real, raw, and relatable. My favorites are revered as such because in them I see myself, my family, my friends, my world; the familiarity of the way things are, the romance of the way things may be one day, the nostalgia of the way things have been.
The answer to the question, “What is this story about?” cannot be answered in terms of a particular event. It is about particular characters and the things they do and say as life comes at them and they come at life in a simultaneous, humorous, and thought-provoking manner. Anyone who prefers this storytelling structure will enjoy the journey through these chapters. There are ten stories about Pooh Bear and his friends in this book, each one both independent of the others in plot but dependent on the others in the holistic picture. A great format for a read-aloud for a host of ages.
Humor
In some ways, I’ve said all there is to say about humor under style; in other ways, I couldn’t say everything there is to say about it in a blog post twice as long. To be brief, the humor in this story is in the writing style itself—matter-of-factness and clever character quips. This story is funny because it’s witty, because it’s relatable, because it’s so obvious you didn’t think it needed said (but in fact, it did). I’m willing to own up that the humor is immature, but anytime a book is able to make me laugh along with the littles I’m reading it to, I think the author succeeded.
Emma Scale: 11/10
Keep an eye out for more Winnie the Pooh themed posts, because this is one of my favorite children’s books. I was going to give it a 10/10, but as I was getting lost overanalyzing the details of this story and writing out what I love about it and why, I decided to give it an 11. Flawless portrayal of wit and whimsy, of innocence and problem solving, of fantasy and reality. Add this to your collection if you haven’t already.