Review: Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

We’re taking a step back from YA this week to take a look at a children’s classic: A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh. I was tasked with reading this for my children’s literature class and was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed it much more than I had anticipated.

If you still haven’t hopped on the bandwagon: Children’s literature isn’t just for children!

Winnie-the-Pooh is a character that most everybody knows. Even if you haven’t read the books, you’re probably familiar with the Disney adaptations. The original story, though, was first published towards the end of the Golden Age of children’s literature. It exemplifies one of the main ideologies of Golden Age kidlit, that the child’s view of the world is inherently innocent, playful, and largely untouched by life experiences.

However, Golden Age books are also engaging for adults. While reading this, I was immersed in nostalgia, reliving my intense “Eeyore phase” all over again (Yes, there were several years of my childhood where I was obsessed with Eeyore... we don't talk about it). But nostalgia isn’t all that’s at work here. A.A. Milne’s prose employs humor and irony that may be better perceived by an adult reader as opposed to a child reader. This, too, kept me interested.

Another appeal for adult readers is that this isn’t a big commitment. If you’re someone who doesn’t have a lot of time, yet wants to get back into reading for fun (I'm looking at you, college students and full-time workers), children’s books are a great place to start. This book is short enough to be read in one sitting, but also has clear chapters where one would be able to stop and start back up again.

The illustrations, courtesy of Ernest H. Shepard, are delightful. If you’ve only ever seen the Disney versions of these characters, I implore you to take a look at the original drawings. They do a much better job, in my opinion, of conveying the raggedy, stuffed-animal look than the popular animated version. Plus, there is something so charming to me about the simplicity of a black and white ink illustration. It leaves so much up to the imagination of the reader, and isn’t one of the main purposes of fiction to engage your imagination?

Although it may seem silly to some to recommend a children’s book, I’m standing by my choice to do so. Winnie-the-Pooh is more than an adorable classic; it’s also an engaging piece of literature that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages if they’re open to giving it a try.