Children's Books > M Children's Books > A.A. Milne

Advantages: Beautifully presented, timeless stories and poems
Disadvantages: Sometimes challenging flow, not to be confused with Disney!

There are some products that you get genuinely excited about reviewing and for me, this is one of them. Who hasn't heard of Winnie-the-Pooh? He's become a household name thanks to his association with Disney and the wide variety of films and merchandise they've produced of him and his friends over the years. This gorgeous special edition has been produced to commemorate Pooh's 75th anniversary; a remarkable age for a children's fictional character ...
...is now the fourth generation of my family to sit listening to these stories and I can't think of any other character that has maintained popularity through so many generations. For those of you that don't know the story of where Pooh began, let me start by telling you his birth was not attended by Disney executives. No, he was the creation of aspiring author Alan Alexander Milne: Milne was born in 1882 in Hampstead, London to Sarah and John Milne ... Read review

Advantages: Wonderful verses, stories and illustrations
Disadvantages: The illustrations are not "Disney".

...story.” I say. “What about The Very Hungry Caterpillar?” says James. “Can we have Winnie the Pooh, James?” I ask. “Again?” Asks James. “But I like it.” I say. So we snuggle up on the bed, and pick a story. This is not an easy task. The Complete Collection has so much to choose from, it could be time for sleep before a decision is made. {About the author} AA Milne was born in Scotland, but moved to London as a child. Much of his education was provided ...
...Bear was born. 1927 saw the second book of verses, “Now We Are Six”, and in 1928, the final book, “The House at Pooh Corner” arrived. Milne wrote many novels, verses, short stories and plays over the years, but none were as famous as the beloved Winnie the Pooh. Alan Milne apparently didn’t write the stories for children, and they were in fact not aimed at any particular market. Contrary to popular belief, he did not often read the stories to his ... Read review

Advantages: Winnie the Pooh!
Disadvantages: Not enough people know Latin... yet!

...of my choice. I chose Winnie Ille Pu, and, as it had not been excluded from the list, I was permitted this indulgence (I believe that the exam list now has a section of excluded works, including this one, more's the pity). Do not be frightened off by the fact that this is a book in Latin. It is very accessible, and quite fun to read with the English version of Winnie-the-Pooh at its side. The Latin version has kept many of the original illustrations ...
...'Ior mi,' dixit sollemniter, 'egomet, Winnie ille Pu, caudam tuam reperiam.' which means, 'Eeyore,' he said solemnly, 'I, Winnie-the-Pooh, will find your tail for you.' This is a delightful romp through a language study. I have recommended this to friends who want an introduction to Latin, together with the Lingua Latina series, which uses a natural language method for instruction. Alexander Lenard, the translator, obviously did a great labour of ... Read review

Advantages: Lovely stories, lovely surprises
Disadvantages: None

On those occasions when my daughter absolutely refuses to go to sleep, it is usually because she wants a Pooh and I know she won’t rest until she’s had one – a story from Pooh’s letters from the Hundred Acre Wood, I mean ;O) So, we always keep a Pooh in the cupboard for these bedtime emergencies! This glorious book contains a collection of short Winnie the Pooh stories written, obviously, by A.A. Milne. The illustrations ...
...by E.H. Shepard. But the particularly brilliant thing about this book – especially to a five-year-old child like my Daisy – is the wealth of hidden surprises it contains. For at the end of each story is a pocket. And in each pocket is a little surprise – sometimes a tiny newspaper or magazine, sometimes a map or poems, a miniature board game or a teeny weenie certificate – which relates to the story you have just read. The ... Read review

Advantages: Lovely way to start to count
Disadvantages: None

Count On Goz by Steve Weatherill A great way for very young children to be introduced to counting up to 5 and to learn about number formation. Children do tend to enjoy lift the flap books, so it's almost certainly going to be a winner. Many children will already be familiar with Goz, the appealing yellow gosling. This time, we meet Goz in the early morning, near the river when everything is quiet. A little yellow goose is bottoms up... "Who's ...
...as developing an ability to count and recognise numbers to 5. The simple text means that it is suitable for National Curriculum Reading, because children can easily see and be encouraged to point out capital letters, full stops and question marks. Because the animals are easily distinguishable, even if they can't read the words, they can be encouraged to use picture clues. A useful book for very young children who are beginning to count. Thanks ... Read review