Finding Winnie is a nearly perfect picture book; a great story, well told and married to exquisite illustrations. Lindsay Mattick tells the story of her great-grandfather who rescues a bear cub, names her Winnie after his hometown of Winnipeg and takes her with him when he joins the Canadian army at the beginning of World War I. When Harry is called to the front he is forced to leave Winnie behind at the London Zoo. There she meets one Robin Milne, the son of A.A. Milne. You might guess the rest for Winnie is the inspiration for that most unforgettable bear, Winnie-the-Pooh. The magic of this book lies not just in the story, as wonderful as it is, but in the marvelous illustrations.
Blackall won the Caldecott Award for this book and it is well deserved. Did I say I loved this book?
— Michael Coy, Ravenna Third Place, Seattle, WA
Treat yourself to a copy of the Caldecott winner from Third Place Books Ravenna or another independent bookstore. Then treat yourself to Sophie Blackall’s Caldecott acceptance speech.