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The Complete Tales & Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh
Since their publication some seventy years ago, A.A. Milne’s enchanting tales and playful verses have been treasured and adored by generations of children, and Winnie-the-Pooh is as popular today as when he first appeared in 1926. This special volume brings together all of the Pooh stories and all of the poems in one full-color, large-format book. The texts are complete and unabridged, and each of Ernest H. Shephard’s whimsical illustrations have been brilliantly recolored from his original sketches of Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, and his toys. Here are the beloved stories of Pooh stuck in Rabbit’s doorway, playing Poohsticks on the bridge, and the oft-read poems, "Buckingham Palace," "Us Two," and so many more. Elegant yet simple, whimsical yet wise, this classic edition is sure to find a cherished place on every bookshelf.
557 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 1996
19 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
A.A. Milne
1,847 books3,709 followersAlan Alexander Milne (pronounced /ˈmɪln/) was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems.
A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.
Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.
After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."
He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".
He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.
A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.
Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.
After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."
He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".
He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 25, 2018
I had no idea I would love this book so much!! It’s sweet, thoughtful, funny, and taps into what kids think about. We absolutely loved the Pooh Bear stories, and I was surprised by how much my girls loved the poems! This will be a staple in bedtime reading!!
November 21, 2012
This book is the collection of the four A.A. Milne Pooh books under one cover: Winnie-the-Pooh; The House at Pooh Corner; When We Were Very Young; and, Now We Are Six. As an adult I am glad to have these books on my shelf again. I undoubtedly had them before in their separate books and being reunited is quite nice. However, this collection is much too heavy to be comfortably held up for reading. Especially if you are of the age of Christopher Robin.
I almost forgot to mention that the original "Decorations" by Ernest H. Shepard are colorfully included. This is the 70th Anniversary edition. It does weigh about as much as a bag of sugar.
I almost forgot to mention that the original "Decorations" by Ernest H. Shepard are colorfully included. This is the 70th Anniversary edition. It does weigh about as much as a bag of sugar.
May 22, 2011
Surprisingly I don't think I had these read to me as a child. When I got a copy of this huge 75th anniversary collection that includes Winnie The Pooh, House at Pooh Corner, When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six fully illustrated in beautiful watercolors I knew it was time to read it. At 24 it's still not too late to return to your childhood for a romp in the Hundred Acre Woods and a good game of Pooh Sticks.
Overall I thought this edition in particular was beautiful, and I really enjoyed reading the introduction about AA Milne and his son Christopher Robin. It is unfortunate that the C.R. had a rough school-hood because of it, and that he came to resent his father for what he felt was an exploitation of his childhood. As an adult, I suppose that takes some of the sparkle out of the stories. I'll make sure to leave that part out when reading to my future children.
As for the books themselves, I found myself in love with Pooh whose simplicity as a character and being in general constantly made me smile. His poems and rhymes and hum diddly dums made me grin as I sang along. My absolute favorite story between the first two books was the story in which Pooh creates the game Pooh Sticks. I have a strong childhood attachment to that story from the Disney version. My husband and I have decided to find a good bridge to play Pooh Sticks on.
I do have to say though that I quite came to dislike Eeyore. I never did like him as a child, either. As a kid I just didn't like that he was grumpy, as an adult reading the books I found his pessimism and subtle haughtiness quite alarming and it made him entirely difficult to like, though I did sympathize with him many times.
Overall I love the Pooh stories and think they teach some valuable lessons as well as just being charming stories in and of themselves. Recommended for anyone who has a young child, or who wants to read stories from their childhood in a new light.
Overall I thought this edition in particular was beautiful, and I really enjoyed reading the introduction about AA Milne and his son Christopher Robin. It is unfortunate that the C.R. had a rough school-hood because of it, and that he came to resent his father for what he felt was an exploitation of his childhood. As an adult, I suppose that takes some of the sparkle out of the stories. I'll make sure to leave that part out when reading to my future children.
As for the books themselves, I found myself in love with Pooh whose simplicity as a character and being in general constantly made me smile. His poems and rhymes and hum diddly dums made me grin as I sang along. My absolute favorite story between the first two books was the story in which Pooh creates the game Pooh Sticks. I have a strong childhood attachment to that story from the Disney version. My husband and I have decided to find a good bridge to play Pooh Sticks on.
I do have to say though that I quite came to dislike Eeyore. I never did like him as a child, either. As a kid I just didn't like that he was grumpy, as an adult reading the books I found his pessimism and subtle haughtiness quite alarming and it made him entirely difficult to like, though I did sympathize with him many times.
Overall I love the Pooh stories and think they teach some valuable lessons as well as just being charming stories in and of themselves. Recommended for anyone who has a young child, or who wants to read stories from their childhood in a new light.
January 23, 2019
I loved this book. Is it a book for children? I think that it’s a book for anybody who was once a child. If a story is well written than it shouldn’t matter who the intended audience is. These stories are adventurous, humorous, and extremely well written. I recommend this book to everyone who can read. Silly old bear, indeed!
Want to read
February 6, 2011I have a copy of this book in paperback. I started it with my granddaughter this weekend so this will be an on-going book. It's so heavy that it's hard for me to hold so we may be reading the version on my iphone. It came free from iBookstore (or whatever it's called :-).
October 9, 2020
I read this to my daughter Jane before her bedtime. The stories of Edward Bear and his friends are charming, warm, and surprisingly funny. The two books of poetry float between winsome and profound. Jane loves the poems.
April 10, 2010
These stories are priceless. I read them to my two oldest kids a few years ago. Unfortunately, these books are kind of kids stories for grown ups. While children can relate to the stories themselves in a major way, the writing is full of wit and nuance that only older children and adults can really catch. Since so much goes over the heads of the little ones, I often found my self reading a page and then explaining it in simpler terms that my kids could understand.
It's kind of sad that some of the best children's books miss the "sweet spot" when children could really get into them. The writing is too hard for small children to understand, but the subject matter is geared toward children that age. When children are old enough to get what is going on, they are also too embarrassed to read the book. I may be wrong--my oldest was four or five when we read these stories, so maybe I should try again now that she is eight and see if she likes them.
That being said, this was so much fun to read that grown ups don't necessarily need the excuse that they are reading it to a child. Just don't let anyone see you bawling when Christopher Robin has to go off to school. :)
Side note: I am also a much bigger fan of the Pooh books than the Pooh poems (which are also included in this edition). That's probably just because I'm not very cultured.
It's kind of sad that some of the best children's books miss the "sweet spot" when children could really get into them. The writing is too hard for small children to understand, but the subject matter is geared toward children that age. When children are old enough to get what is going on, they are also too embarrassed to read the book. I may be wrong--my oldest was four or five when we read these stories, so maybe I should try again now that she is eight and see if she likes them.
That being said, this was so much fun to read that grown ups don't necessarily need the excuse that they are reading it to a child. Just don't let anyone see you bawling when Christopher Robin has to go off to school. :)
Side note: I am also a much bigger fan of the Pooh books than the Pooh poems (which are also included in this edition). That's probably just because I'm not very cultured.
October 27, 2012
Reading the original pooh tales with my boys, I feel like I stumbled across a present in the middle if my living room. How did I not know what a treasure these stories are, and how often I'd laugh and want to quote Pooh?
“Then would you read to me a sustaining book, such as would help and comfort a wedged bear in great tightness?”
― A.A. Milne
A sustaining book such as would help and comfort a wedged bear in great tightness - this is what I need!
“Then would you read to me a sustaining book, such as would help and comfort a wedged bear in great tightness?”
― A.A. Milne
A sustaining book such as would help and comfort a wedged bear in great tightness - this is what I need!
December 27, 2023
This book was so wonderful and heartwarming. Though its stories and words were simple and childlike, Winnie-the-Pooh (the Bear of Little Brain) made me so happy. And Piglet, who though shy and timid was magnanimous, and Eeyore who thought no one liked him when everyone did, and everyone else in the stories---they were all so wonderful and I loved it so much. And the pictures were wonderful too! I loved to look at them and they added tremendously to the reading experience.
April 26, 2015
I'd wanted this book forever and I finally got it one Christmas when I had acquired $50 to Barnes and Nobel. It contains the two Winnie the Pooh books and also the two poetry books When We Were Very Young and Now We are Six. It has the original illustrations but they have been colored in. The book is just a gorgeous edition.
March 24, 2011
My mother read these tales to my siblings and me when we were young and now I am thoroughly enjoying sharing them with my oldest, Jonathan. A. A. Miline has such a way with characters, sentences, and capturing the simple complexity of childhood. Every tale is a delight, especially seeing and hearing them again, for the first time through my three-year-old's eyes and ears.
"Silly old bear."
"Silly old bear."
September 1, 2012
Deducting a star for the textbook feel of this collection. I found it hard to read because of this. I skipped the first book because I read it already, but it was great seeing colored illustrations throughout the whole thing. The poems were good but they didn't all pertain to Christopher Robin and Winnie The Pooh.
July 28, 2009
Technically a first time read through, my father read this aloud to me and my sisters as kids many, many times. Pooh and his friends are just as delightful as ever and I'm excited to read the poetry, which I am not familiar with.
February 4, 2011
Liked it, but not enough to read it voraciously. Plus, it was big and kind of falling apart, which made it difficult to carry around with me. I'll come back to it when I have a child old enough to read it with.
July 6, 2010
A wonderful read-aloud for all ages. Each chapter is almost a stand alone story so it gives easy breaks from one reading time to the next. The characters are familiar and will be even more loved after reading about their adventures.
June 28, 2011
I enjoyed Milne's use of capitalization,which made simple dialogue seem much more important than we would normally think it. Also included are some song lyrics by Pooh, who, despite being "A Bear of Very Little Brain", has a talent for creating fun, simple, litle ditties.
August 5, 2008
I love Pooh --this is the biggest pooh book I think there is out there. Full of great stories about the 100 acre wood.
Classics to read over and over forever.
Classics to read over and over forever.
January 21, 2010
Surprisingly hilarious. We read it outloud and even Neal would get tickled reading it. Eeyore & his sarcasm are a hoot. And Pooh-isms have now entered our daily life. Good times.
March 24, 2010
Read-aloud. We both loved it and agree we might re-read it someday.
June 26, 2010
Absolutely fabulous. I laughed and I cried, but that was every day I was pregnant, LOL. I read this book to my son while he was still inside.
October 1, 2010
This gives us hope. Really.
December 22, 2010
344 pages
May 3, 2012
I give precious few books a score of 5. Milne is simply brilliance!
June 28, 2013
My favorite collection of Pooh Bear. I've loved Winnie the Pooh since I was a kid and seen many versions but this one is great. I now read it to my daughter at bedtime.
December 3, 2016
I wasn't too fond of the 2 books of poetry but the 3 Pooh books are simply incredible.
August 3, 2017
ISBN: 0-525-45724-0
List Price: 50.00
List Price: 50.00
May 1, 2020
This was such a fun read! In addition to being really nostalgic, it was absolutely hilarious. This book is equal parts sweet and witty. I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews