"It's awful fun to be born at all" (Winnie-the-Pooh: When We Were Very Young - A.A. Milne)

Member Name: helican

Product:	Winnie-the-Pooh: When We Were Very Young - A.A. Milne
Date:	25/05/09 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: choc-full of funny & charming rhymes

Disadvantages: a few dull ones

This collection of poems was published, according to my copy, in 1934, & recalls, in words & pictures, a bygone age of nannies & tin soldiers & little boys who dressed like Christopher Robin.
I had this book from early childhood, loved it dearly & knew many of the rhymes off by heart. My favourites were the funny ones & those with children in who were real characters : The King's Breakfast, with the dancing jolly king who longs for a little bit of butter for his bread; the fabulous Disobedience, starring James James Morrison Morrison Wetherby George Dupree & his wandering mother; Rice Pudding in which Mary Jane tantrums impressively over rice pudding & If I Were King (' if only I were king if france, I wouldn't brush my hair for aunts'). The animals are stars too: I reread The Dormouse & the Doctor hundreds of times, & was suitably alarmed by the bears on the Corner of the Street.
With a massive 44 poems in the collection there were a few I barely touched on, mostly the more wistful rhymes & the ones about nature: the more serious tone didn't appeal at all & even now they don't do much for me.
I have to say my two kids have never shown much interest in these rhymes, despite my best efforts, but that doesn't prevent me from recommending them wohleheartedly.

Summary: a vibrant celebration of childhood that should be read & treasured.