Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear

The remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh

During World War I, Captain Harry Colebourn, a Canadian veterinarian on his way to serve with cavalry units in Europe, rescued a bear cub in White River, Ontario. He named the bear Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war.

Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter Lindsay Mattick recounts their incredible journey, from a northern Canadian town to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England . . . and finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made a new friend: a boy named Christopher Robin.

Gentle yet haunting illustrations by acclaimed illustrator Sophie Blackall bring the wartime era to life, and are complemented by photographs and ephemera from the Colebourn family archives.

LINDSAY MATTICKis the great-granddaughter of Captain Harry Colebourn. She has been sharing Winnie’s story through radio, film, book and museum exhibitions. She lives with her family in Toronto.

JOSH GREENHUTis a writer and researcher. He is the author of more than fifteen children’s books, including some in the Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures series. He lives with his family in Toronto.

SOPHIE BLACKALLis a bestselling, Caldecott Medal–winning artist whose books includeFinding WinnieandHello, Lighthouse. She lives with her family in Brooklyn.

Sophie Blackall is the illustrator of many acclaimed picture books, includingFinding Winnie, for which she received the Caldecott Medal, one of the most prestigious children’s book awards in the world. Her artwork has also appeared in murals as part of the New York City MTA’s “Arts for Transit” program. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

ISBN: 9781443429184
Format: Hardback
Pages: 56
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: October 20, 2015

Praise for Sophie Blackall“The illustrations are outstanding—Blackall has outdone herself. . . . The text and pictures work expertly together, moving the story forward in clever and funny ways.” —SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review for The Mighty Lalouche)"Blackall takes her always-exquisite ink-and-watercolor artwork to another level, creating three-dimensional cut-out scenes that have the intensity of silent film and the magic of an exquisitely crafted toy theater. C’est formidable!” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review for The Mighty Lalouche)“One of the best picture-book artists working today, Blackall offers winsome art that is interesting in its use of perspective, perceptive in its depiction of family dynamics, and just plain adorable in its effort to make ferrets fetching. (Not always an easy task.) Parents and children will agree, this is a book that's clever in every sense of the word: skillful, original, and witty.” —BOOKLIST (starred review for Edwin Speaks Up)“[Are You Awake? is] a quirky gem.” PEOPLE“Blackall once again excels at portraying a thoughtful child with a rich inner life.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review for The Baby Tree)