My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’ve just finished reading this book aloud to my 4 year old niece. It’s provided some quality aunt/niece time and given us more than a few giggles.
One of the things that makes these story so precious is the simple, pure innocence that each story has. I remember reading these stories as a child and playing “Winnie-the-Pooh” (I was always Eeyore). My cousins used to play “Pooh sticks” in a stream that was close to their home.
My favorite story out of the tales included in this book is In Which Piglet Is Entirely Surrounded by Water. There’s a short passage in the middle of the story that brings tears to my eyes because of how precious it is. And as I read this out loud and experienced my niece’s eyes widening and her mouth forming a small “o”, I felt my heart ache with the moment.
At this part, Pooh has already eaten all nine of his pots of honey that are keeping him company up on a branch. It has been raining for days, and everything is flooded and he is worried because he has received a note (from Piglet) in a bottle, which he believes it address to him (because P stands for Pooh). So Pooh has this bright idea that he will make his empty jar (which can float) into a boat named The Floating Bear. And he jumps onto it.
For a little while Pooh and The Floating Bear were uncertain as to which of them was meant to be on the top, but after trying one or two different positions, they settled down with The Floating Bear underneath and Pooh triumphantly astride it, paddling vigorously with his feet.
Can’t you picture it? My niece could, and I paused to listen as her giggles grew from quiet to louder while the image formed in her head.
Winnie-the-Pooh is a classic, yes. But like all books of its sort, it should be used to make memories that are even more precious then the stories held inside. That’s one that will last me a lifetime.
