Return to the Hundred Acre Wood (2009, David Benedictus) – 4 Stars
Ask any child, pretty much anywhere in the world to name his or her favourite bear, and the answer will come the same. Whether in his homestead merry England, or his animated haven the US, or even in the far reaches of anime-enthused Japan, Winnie the Pooh is a face and a tummy known across the globe.
But of course, most nowadays know Pooh simply for his Disney adventures; a shame really, as few books have brought such delight and charm as A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh and its sequel The House at Pooh Corner. Indeed, childhood in the Westgate home was filled with hums and ponders from the Bear of Very Little Brain.
Thus, with enraptured enthusiasm, I pawed my way through David Benedictus’ authorised sequel Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, and though it has been eighty years since the world last saw Christopher Robin in the land of his own imagination, only a year has passed in the wood, and the ensemble of unforgettable animals is fervently waiting for their leader’s return from school.
Within the all too few pages of Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, each of our furry or feathered friends has a typically idiosyncratic adventure; Tigger eats too many blackberries and falls into a stupour in which he dreams of Africa; Owl becomes an author, only to immediately un-become one, and Rabbit organises everything, including a full census of the forest (or non-census as Piglet calls it, before blushing at his own cleverness).
Alongside the old residents of the wood is newcomer Lottie the Otter, a cause of much contention amongst stalwart Pooh critics. Yes, perhaps in her absence, more story time could have been given to the old gang (it did disappoint me somewhat that Eeyore does rather little this time round), but nonetheless Lottie fits very well into the Wood, and does have a delightful “Milne-ness” about her.
And on the subject of “Milne-ness”, or to be specific “Shepherd-ness”, Pooh would have only a small smackerel of his charm without the beautiful illustrations of Ernest Shepherd, so many compliments and congratulations must be given to Mark Burgess, Shepherd’s colourist in the original books, who emulates Shepherd’s drawings perfectly, bringing to bouncing life the inhabitants of the forest.
In all, Return to the Hundred Acre Wood is a wonderful tribute to Milne’s memory, and a worthy addition to his legacy. An overwhelming sense of childish glee and nostalgia abounds every page, making one long for days of cricket and picnics, and as I reached the end of the book, and indeed Christopher Robin’s time in the forest, I did find myself shedding a tear for childhood years lost. As Pooh and Piglet walk hand in hand into the bittersweet sunset, one can only wonder what does happen to childhood, and must thank wholeheartedly Mr. Benedictus for giving us back some of those precious moments, albeit for just one short summer.
Ask any child, pretty much anywhere in the world to name his or her favourite bear, and the answer will come the same. Whether in his homestead merry England, or his animated haven the US, or even in the far reaches of anime-enthused Japan, Winnie the Pooh is a face and a tummy known across the globe.
But of course, most nowadays know Pooh simply for his Disney adventures; a shame really, as few books have brought such delight and charm as A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh and its sequel The House at Pooh Corner. Indeed, childhood in the Westgate home was filled with hums and ponders from the Bear of Very Little Brain.
Thus, with enraptured enthusiasm, I pawed my way through David Benedictus’ authorised sequel Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, and though it has been eighty years since the world last saw Christopher Robin in the land of his own imagination, only a year has passed in the wood, and the ensemble of unforgettable animals is fervently waiting for their leader’s return from school.
Within the all too few pages of Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, each of our furry or feathered friends has a typically idiosyncratic adventure; Tigger eats too many blackberries and falls into a stupour in which he dreams of Africa; Owl becomes an author, only to immediately un-become one, and Rabbit organises everything, including a full census of the forest (or non-census as Piglet calls it, before blushing at his own cleverness).
Alongside the old residents of the wood is newcomer Lottie the Otter, a cause of much contention amongst stalwart Pooh critics. Yes, perhaps in her absence, more story time could have been given to the old gang (it did disappoint me somewhat that Eeyore does rather little this time round), but nonetheless Lottie fits very well into the Wood, and does have a delightful “Milne-ness” about her.
And on the subject of “Milne-ness”, or to be specific “Shepherd-ness”, Pooh would have only a small smackerel of his charm without the beautiful illustrations of Ernest Shepherd, so many compliments and congratulations must be given to Mark Burgess, Shepherd’s colourist in the original books, who emulates Shepherd’s drawings perfectly, bringing to bouncing life the inhabitants of the forest.
In all, Return to the Hundred Acre Wood is a wonderful tribute to Milne’s memory, and a worthy addition to his legacy. An overwhelming sense of childish glee and nostalgia abounds every page, making one long for days of cricket and picnics, and as I reached the end of the book, and indeed Christopher Robin’s time in the forest, I did find myself shedding a tear for childhood years lost. As Pooh and Piglet walk hand in hand into the bittersweet sunset, one can only wonder what does happen to childhood, and must thank wholeheartedly Mr. Benedictus for giving us back some of those precious moments, albeit for just one short summer.
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