Christopher Robin’s Bear - NIE WORLDat Pooh Corner” is the second collection of stories about Pooh and his friends. It was published two years after “Winnie-the-Pooh.” *Today

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The popular nine-part series on the Constitution, written in collaboration with the National Archives, is now packaged as a colorful 32-page softcover book. The series covers:• the preamble, the seven articles and 27 amendments• the “big ideas” of the document• the history of its making and the signers

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Winnie-the-Pooh Creator

Meet Author A.A. Milne Have you grown up hearing the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh and watching the movies? Many people keep their love of Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends for their entire lives. The author of the original Winnie-the-Pooh books, A.A. Milne, was born 130 years ago. In celebration, The Mini Page takes a look at the author and his beloved stories.The author grows up Alan Alexander Milne was born in London in 1882. He had two older brothers. His father, John Vine Milne, ran a boys school named Henley House. Alan went to school there when he was young.

Going to school One of Alan’s early science teachers was author H.G. Wells, who later became a famous science fiction writer. (Wells is best known for his works such as “The War of the Worlds” and “The Time Machine.”) Wells and Alan stayed friends throughout their lives. After he grew up, Alan got a scholarship to study math at Cambridge University in England. While there, he and his brother Ken began composing funny poems for the university magazine.

After college Alan became the editor of the college magazine and later wrote for other magazines. He worked as an assistant editor of a humor magazine in England.

When World War I began, Alan enlisted in the British armed services. He began

writing plays while in the service. After the war ended, he wrote an article against war. This article, “Peace With Honour,” became famous.

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A.A. Milne sits with his son, Christopher Robin, and Christopher’s stuffed toy bear, Winnie-the-Pooh. Christopher got the original Winnie-the-Pooh toy bear when he was about 1 year old.Christopher’s family called him by the nicknames Billy or Moon, because he called himself Billy Moon when he was a young child. “Moon” is how the last name “Milne” sounded when he said it.

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The original “Winnie-the-Pooh” book was reissued on the 75th anniversary of its publication. It was first published in 1926.

Words that remind us of A.A. Milne are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: ACRE, AUTHOR, BEAR, BOOKS, CHRISTOPHER, EEYORE, FOREST, HOME, HUNDRED, KANGA, MOVIE, OWL, PIGLET, POEMS, POOH, ROBIN, ROO, STORIES, STUFFED, TIGGER, TREE, WINNIE, WOODS, ZOO.

A.A. Milne try ’nfind

Who’s your favorite Pooh character?

T B E R O Y E E R E G G I T H H R E K L W O S E I R O T S H W O E A A T E L G I P R O O U I M M E R N L R T S E R O F N N O M E K V G Z R O H T U A D N V S M E O P A O S D O O W R I I N M S K O O B O A C R E E E E D E F F U T S N I B O R D H O O P R E H P O T S I R H C


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ready resourcesfrom The Mini Page © 2012 Universal Uclick

The Mini Page provides ideas for websites, books or other resources that will help you learn more about this week’s topics.On the Web:• poohcorner.com/• pooh-corner.org/• just-pooh.comAt the library: • “Disney Winnie the Pooh: A Celebration of the Silly Old Bear” by Christopher Finch • “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: A Classic Disney Treasury” by Janet Campbell, Teddy Slater, Stephanie Calmenson and A.A. Milne


Christopher Robin’s BearThe real Christopher Robin Alan and his wife, Dorothy (nicknamed Daphne), gave birth to their only child, Christopher Robin, in 1920. When Christopher was 3 years old, Alan began writing poems for children. The poems were published in a book, “When We Were Very Young.”The real bear When Christopher was a child, he became friends with a real bear at the London Zoo. It was called Winnie. He became such good friends with the bear, and it was so tame, that zookeepers let Christopher go in the cage with Winnie many times.* Christopher named his toy bear after the live bear.

The stories Christopher and his mother invented stories and acted them out with his stuffed animals. Alan said watching them play inspired him to write the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Alan also wrote a second book of poems for kids, “Now We Are Six.” He also continued to write plays, screenplays and novels for adults. The illustrator of the first Pooh books, Ernest Shepard, drew his Christopher Robin based on what the real 4-year-old boy was like.

Christopher’s stuffed animals Christopher played with several stuffed animals besides Winnie-the-Pooh. He had a toy donkey named Eeyore and a stuffed pig named Piglet. Later, his parents gave him stuffed kangaroos, Kanga and Roo, and a toy tiger, Tigger.

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“The House at Pooh Corner” is the second collection of stories about Pooh and his friends. It was published two years after “Winnie-the-Pooh.”

*Today a zoo would not let a child go into a bear’s cage. It would be much too dangerous. ©

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Eeyore from the Disney movie “Winnie the Pooh.”

Christopher Robin as he appears in the Disney movie “Winnie the Pooh.” When the Disney artists began drawing Christopher for the movies, they made his clothes more modern and American-looking.


Wally: Where would you be likely to find Winnie-the-Pooh after he got married? Wendy: On his honeymoon!

Wilson: Why didn’t Winnie-the-Pooh finish his dinner?

Winton: Because he was stuffed!

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All the following jokes have something in common. Can you guess the common theme or category?

Wesley: What does Winnie-the-Pooh sound like when he cries?

Wanda: “Pooh-hoo”!

Mini Spy . . .Mini Spy is reading one of A.A. Milne’s books to her little sister for a bedtime story. See if you can find:• exclamation mark • Easter egg • lima bean • ruler• ladder • carrot • safety pin • lips• sailboat • pea pod • pencil • word MINI• letter E • letter A • letter F • heart• toothbrush • kite • olive • saw


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Rookie Cookie’s RecipeChili With Black Beans

You’ll need:• 2 pounds lean ground beef• 1 tablespoon olive oil• 1 medium onion, chopped• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped• 2 tablespoons chili powder• 2 teaspoons ground cuminWhat to do:1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet; pour off fat. Set aside.2. Heat oil in large pot; add onions and cook until tender.3. Add garlic; cook another minute.4. Add spices and cook for 1 minute to blend well.5. Add broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste and cooked ground beef.6. Heat to boiling; stir in beans.7. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.You will need an adult’s help with this recipe. from The Mini Page © 2012 Universal Uclick

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• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon• 1 cup beef broth• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans,

drained and rinsed


Meet Laurie Berkner Laurie Berkner is a singer and songwriter who formed a band to perform for kids, the Laurie Berkner Band. She formed her own recording company and has made several CDs for kids. Laurie grew up in Princeton, N.J. From the time she was a child, she sang in choirs, played in bands and performed in musicals. In high school and college, she toured Europe with several choirs and orchestras as a soloist, both as a singer and playing the guitar. After college, she worked as a music specialist

for preschools and day care centers in New York. The parents of her students encouraged her to produce her first album. She and her band appeared on Nick Jr. TV with their music videos. She has written two picture books that include CDs. Laurie supports charities such as Room to Grow, which donates clothing, books, toys and other items to babies in need.

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Creating Pooh’s World

The Mini Page StaffBetty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist

The real Hundred Acre Wood After the success of the first book of kids’ poems, the Milnes were able to buy a farmhouse outside of London in East Sussex, England. They spent vacations there, and later the family moved there. Alan Milne and the illustrator Ernest Shepard used a forest near the farm, Ashdown Forest, as a model for Pooh’s land. When they made the movie “Winnie the Pooh,” Disney artists went to visit for inspiration. Ashdown Forest is the real version of the imaginary Hundred Acre Wood, the dark Forest and Roo’s sandpit. Alan Milne took Christopher for walks in Ashdown Forest.

From books to movies After Alan died in 1956, his widow sold the movie and TV rights to The Walt Disney Co. Disney has produced small Pooh films, a longer feature, a TV series and books.

Success of the books The Winnie-the-Pooh books have been translated into more than 35 languages. “Winnie-the-Pooh” was even translated into Latin. The Latin version, called “Winnie Ille Pu,” was a best-seller. The Pooh books have sold millions of copies around the world. About 80 years after “House at Pooh Corner,” the people in charge of the Pooh Properties approved new tales about Pooh and his friends.

art © Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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Disney artists modeled Owl’s house in the “Winnie the Pooh” movie (above) after a real tree in Ashdown Forest near London (pictured at left).

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Pooh does a bit of decorating in the Hundred Acre Wood in the Disney movie.

The Mini Page thanks Jessica Shoffel, Penguin Publishing; and Hallie Patterson, Disney Enterprises, for help with this issue.

Look through your newspaper for pictures of areas that look like they could be magical settings for stories.

Next week, The Mini Page celebrates Groundhog Day. ja

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In “Return to the Hundred Acre Wood,” Christopher Robin returns from school to see his old friends.

In the movie “Winnie the Pooh,” the friends of Hundred Acre Wood come together again. From left to right are Tigger, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore.

The adult Christopher Robin When he grew up, Christopher Robin owned and ran a bookstore. He also wrote true books about his life. He led a fight to save Ashdown Forest from damage by oil companies. He died in 1996.


Supersport: Tyrann MathieuHeight: 5-9 Birthdate: 5-13-92Weight: 175 Hometown: New Orleans “Honey Badger” sounds a little like the title of a children’s book. But at Louisiana State University, it’s a nickname given to cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. Like an aggressive badger, Mathieu was all over the field making game-changing plays. He tackled (70 hits), forced

fumbles (6), recovered fumbles (5), broke up passes (7) and electrified Cajun crowds with dazzling punt returns, including two for touchdowns. In No. 1-ranked LSU’s perfect regular season, the Tigers sophomore was named Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. His reputation as a defensive dynamo started last year, when he created 10 turnovers and also was voted MVP of the Cotton Bowl. A sports administration major, Mathieu isn’t the tallest or biggest college player. But he’s one of the best at badgering opponents in a variety of ways.

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Christopher Robin’s Bear - NIE WORLDat Pooh Corner” is the second collection of stories about Pooh and his friends. It was published two years after “Winnie-the-Pooh.” *Today