Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

Rating: My bookshelf

Reading level: Early Elementary, Mid-late Elementary, All ages

The characters in the classic Pooh books are honest, vulnerable, quirky, and endearing. I like how Christopher Robin loves each character so completely, despite their flaws. The audiobooks are on repeat in our minivan. Every time I listen to it, I catch new clever subtleties. Disney just doesn’t do it justice, really.

Possible Concerns:

• Food obsession. Pooh is obsessed with honey and he is a bit tubby and gets stuck in a hole for eating too much.  So take a pass if body image or poor eating habits/obsession are a weakness for anyone in your family.

• Honesty (but with growth mindset!). The characters are brutally honest—almost the way children are.  So for example, Pooh is often told by others or admitted by himself that he is a bear of very little brain.  The wonder of it all is that (1) Christopher Robin dearly loves Pooh all the same, so I love the way that reflects God’s love for us regardless of accolades. (2) Later in the story Pooh has some great ideas and Christopher Robin compliments his intellect by naming their umbrella boat “The Brain of Pooh.”  So this actually reinforces the growth mindset sort of ideas that even if you have little brain now, you can learn and grown and contribute brilliance if you keep at it.

• Rabbit is a bit sharp. He concocts plans to steal Roo, to lose Tigger in the woods, etc. He isn’t always very kind, and if your kids will model his sharp remarks you might not like the story.

If you’re going to listen to Pooh, I HIGHLY recommend Peter Dennis’s version. Although the second book has some background sounds of wind and crows cawing that are annoying.

Discussion Questions:

• Rabbit isn’t initially fond of Kanga and Roo, but eventually he and Roo become dear friends. Have you ever been not-so-fond of someone until you got to know them? Why do you think we dislike or are afraid of people we don’t know?
• The characters seem to trust that Christopher Robin will never let anything bad happen to them. Obviously, Christopher is just a boy and in the real world he can’t promise they’ll be safe forever. What people or things do you put your trust in that can’t actually keep you safe? Where can you put your trust and be confident?
• Christopher Robin loves each of the characters so dearly even in their quirky, imperfect selves. How does he show his love for them? How does God show his love for you, even in your quirky, imperfect self?
• The characters often tell Pooh he has very little brain. How does Pooh prove them wrong / show that he actually is a very clever bear? What labels to people put on you that you would like to shed and show are actually wrong? Remember that God promises to complete the work He started in you, so there is nothing that He can’t do in and through you.