Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear

Narrated by Katherine Kellgren, this iconographic-animated short based on the 2015 Caldecott Medal-winning book by author Lindsay Mattick and illustrator Sophie Blackall features watercolor artwork backed by a drawling piano soundtrack. Finding Winnie follows the real-life story of Winnipeg veterinarian Harry Colebourne (Mattick's great-grandfather), whose train stop in White River on his way to care for horses during the First World War scored him a unique pet. Colebourne came across a trapper with a baby bear, paid the man $20, and set off with the cub—who he named Winnie, after his hometown—on the rest of his journey. Apparently the Canadian military was pretty chill about wild mascots, and Winnie was treated as a pet (and fed bottles of condensed milk) as she made the trip across the Atlantic to an English army base. Eventually, Colebourne left the bear at the London Zoo, where she was befriended by young Christopher Robin Milne, whose author father A.A. Milne used the experiences as a springboard for his iconic Winnie the Pooh series. Combining archival photos and diary snippets to help bring this unique story to life, Finding Winnie also features a read-along option. Recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)