Winnie the Pooh's delightful nonsense has been warming our
hearts for nearly a century. The House at
Pooh Corner was first published in 1928, and is just as charming as it ever. This is an excellent introduction to chapter books,
with ten text heavy chapters overall. Each chapter is a story within itself, so
a chapter a night makes the perfect bedtime story. The black and white sketches
appear every few pages, allowing and encouraging readers' imaginations to fill
in the empty spaces and colors. The stories include how Tigger first met the
rest of the gang; when Pooh and Piglet built Eeyore a new home; how Pooh and Piglet
almost came face-to-face with a heffalump; and many other adventures. Each
chapter is filled with Tigger's bouncy energy, Eeyore's perpetual-yet-lovable
melancholy, and Pooh's poetry and hidden wisdom.
Pooh's adventures are fun to read aloud! Since Pooh loves to
sing, he has a song in nearly every chapter. The lyrics are printed, but the
tune is up to you. Your child will love singing along, so don't hold back
and have some fun! The simple way Pooh and his friends communicate will also resonate
well with childish logic. When Roo asked Tigger what they
were hurrying not to be late for, Tigger's response was, "For whatever we want
to be on time for." Pooh and his friends even mispronounce, or misspell words,
sometimes in the same adorable way children do as they are learning to read and write. In the
final chapter, each character learns to write his or her name.
My niece read this book one chapter at a time as
a bedtime story. Tigger is her favorite character, so she loved the chapters
about him the most. I also pointed out how Pooh and Piglet have a sibling-like
relationship, with Pooh being the older brother who likes to tease and boss
Piglet a bit, but it's also clear how much he loves his little friend. I
related this to Emily and her newborn sister, Sophie, but Emily wrinkled her
nose and said, "I would not be Pooh,
Auntie. I don't even like honey. I am like Tigger - I'm bouncy!"
--Audra
