Winnie the Pooh Day

The real stuffed toys Public Domain

We celebrate Jan 18 as the birthday of A. A. Milne, British novelist, playwright, poet, and the author of Winnie the Pooh, a bear that is loved by young and old. Milne was born in London, England, on January 18, 1882.

Milne's greatest and enduring successes were his best-seller books Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928), illustrated by artist Ernest H. Shepard. Of course we know these books as the adventures a young boy named Christopher Robin, after Milne's own son (Christopher Robin Milne), and Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. 

The animal playmates were inspired by the real Christopher Robin's stuffed toys. The stuffed animals depicted in the photo are the actual Harrods toys purchased for Christopher Milne in the early 1920's. 

Clockwise from bottom left in the above photo are bouncy tiger Tigger, kind kangaroo Kanga, Edward Bear (aka a bear named Winnie-the-Pooh the central character), gloomy donkey Eeyore, and shy Piglet. Roo was also one of the original toys but he was lost a long time ago. Pooh, Piglet, and the others now live at the New York Public Library. Wise Owl and fussy Rabbit were not based on toys and Gopher was made up for the Disney version.

"...these are some of the best-loved characters in children's literature. They began as stuffed toy animals that belonged to a boy named Christopher Robin." ~scholastic.com

In addition to the two Pooh books, Milne's best known works are his two collections of children's poetry, When We Were Very Young (1924) and Now We Are Six (1927)

"The 38th poem in the book, "Teddy Bear", that originally appeared in Punch magazine in February 1924, was the first appearance of the famous character Winnie-the-Pooh, first named "Mr. Edward Bear" by Christopher Robin Milne." ~wikipedia.com

Read more about Pooh, The Tao of Pooh and find a few gifts at my page Winnie the Pooh & Pals

International Children's Book Day

My grandson eating his first book!

Today we are celebrating International Children's Book Day, a yearly event sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People. This day is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books.

Instilling a love of reading promotes a lifetime of learning and enjoyment. I have created a page Best Children's Books For The Early Years that promotes the books that I enjoyed reading to my children and my grandchildren.
 
 "There is a whole host of fabulous children's books out there waiting to be discovered - not just by children but by adults who are young at heart too!"

To find out more about the day and events happening near you, visit International Childrens Book Day website.

What is your favorite children's book? (or 2 or 3)

Click here for More April Holidays and Celebrations

Read to Me

What a great way to begin Celebrating!

The first week of March, Feb 27- March 3, is "Read to Me Week" or "Read With Me Week" or "Read Me Week." This week overlaps with the National Education Association’s Read Across America day on March 2.

In celebration, I ordered three books today.

*Wayne Dyer's new book just released today--Inspiration. "Inspiration, Dyer writes, is the opposite of motivation and goal-oriented thinking, the latter, 'grabbing an idea and carrying it through to an acceptable conclusion.' Inspiration, on the other hand, is when 'an idea has taken hold of us from the invisible reality of Spirit.'" Click the image for reviews and to purchase.

Taoist Cosmic Healing : Chi Kung Color Healing principles for Detoxification and Rejuvenation. Description on Amazon "This book will be very useful for anyone interested in learning how to work with 'Cosmic' or spiritual healing." Click the image for reviews and to purchase.

One Degree Beyond is an engaging introduction to Reiki, the rapidly growing art form that has proven to be an avenue for many to alleviate tension, manage stress, and expand powers of perception. It's an easy-to-follow guide to discovering Reiki as both a methodology and a life-force energy. Click the image for reviews and to purchase.

I'm looking forward to receiving these books. In the meantime, I'm reading Steeped in the world of Tea, a compilation of rich, beautiful stories about tea that span the globe.

A quote from the book:

Monkey-Picked Oolong

Meditating on this Yellow Liquor
pale and shimmering in a porcelain cup,
I become liquid myself,
poised on nothingness,
a quiet monk in a forgotten valley.

~~Marc E. Hofstadter

Click the image for reviews and to purchase.

I hope your week is filled with good reading and great Tea!

updated 8/9/18