Review for Parents and Caregivers of Children in Grades K - 2
Little, Brown and Company, 2015
Grades PK – 2
Lexile 420L-820L
Your child may think they already know the story of a bear named Winnie, having watched a Winnie the Pooh movie or read about the honey-loving bear in one of A.A. Milne’s books. But when they pick up Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick, there’s a whole new story awaiting them.
This book tells the true story of veterinarian Harry Coleburn, who rescues a bear cub from a trapper on his way to fight in World War I. Coleburn names the bear Winnie, after his beloved home city of Winnipeg, and Winnie becomes the regiment mascot, all the way from the fields of rural Quebec, Canada, to the rolling hills of Salisbury Plain, England. When the regiment prepares to ship to France, Harry has a hard decision to make, a decision that ultimately lets “one story end so the next one can begin,” as the narrator of Winnie’s story describes (Mattick, 2015, p. 37). The result is a real-life connection between this small Canadian black bear and the famous yellow bear named Winnie the Pooh. It’s a story you’ll love just as much as the young reader you share it with.
Finding Winnie is a tender story, told by a mother to her young son. When the boy, Cole, occasionally interrupts the story with a question or an observation, you’ll also have the chance to check in with your young reader to ask them questions about what they’re reading. This narrative feature makes the book delightfully interactive.
(Mattick, 2015, p. 13)
The “finely detailed and emotionally expansive” (Cooperative Children’s Book Center, n.d., para. 1) ink and watercolor illustrations also give the story both warmth and depth, beyond the words on the page, like this image of Harry and Winnie which speaks volumes about their relationship.
(Mattick, 2015, p. 31)
Another interesting feature of the book is the Album at the back. Since Winnie’s story is true, and the author is the great-granddaughter of Harry Coleburn, these photos, diary entries, and other primary sources allow readers to engage with the types of texts their own families may have in boxes or albums (Colwell, 2019).
(Mattick, 2015, p. 50)
While there’s so much to love about this book, the multiple layers of this story may be a lot for new readers to absorb. Let children take their time with this book. They may focus on only one part of the story or show little interest in the primary sources at the back, especially at first. That’s okay. Talk about the parts of the story that most interest them. Some of the text blocks also run long for newer readers. You may want to take turns reading with your young reader or read it to them on the first pass. A glossary also would help, especially with some of the military jargon in the story, though the book doesn’t offer one. A short glossary is included at the bottom of this post, along with other suggested activities to help you and your child get the most out of this book.
Though it might take a little extra work, this 2016 Caldecott Medal winner and Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book is a great connector between narrative (or fiction) and informational (or nonfiction) books, which your child will increasingly be assigned to read in school through the Common Core State Standards (Indiana Department of Education, 2023). It’s also a great example of books about remarkable animals, which many kids enjoy. Look for a list of similar books to introduce to your young reader below. If you child is a fan of Winnie the Pooh, if they like animals and especially animal stories, or if they just love a good true story, they’ll enjoy Finding Winnie. It’s a picture book with a big story to tell, so older children might enjoy the history and real-life details it includes. Preschoolers with a good attention span also might sit still long enough to listen to the story. But readers in first and second grade will especially love reading along and reading aloud this true and surprising story of Finding Winnie.Glossary for Finding Winnie
All definitions are adapted from Merriam-Webster’s Student Dictionary for Kids.
Captain – the officer in charge of a military unit
Colonel – an officer in the army, air force, or marine corps
Condensed milk - evaporated milk with sugar added, often used in baking
Diary – a book where daily reflections or feelings are recorded
Front – an area where battling armies fight
Mascot – a person, animal, or object adopted by a group to represent them
Regiment – a military unit made up of a several of battalions
Terrace – a level plain usually with steep front
Train platform – an elevated area where passengers board trains
Trapper – a person who catches animals in traps
Voyage – a trip or journey, especially by sea
Activities for Children and Caregivers
Animal Role Play
Talk about the bear in Finding Winnie or animals in other stories you read. Ask your child what they knew about each animal before they read these books. Ask them to pretend to be that animal or to act out how the animals behave in the wild or at the zoo (if they don’t have experience with these animals, consider looking up videos online) (Brookes, 2022). Next, talk about how the animals in the stories are different than the ones your child has seen or known about previously. What makes them different? Why do they act differently? Have them act out how the animals in the stories behaved.
My Favorite Animal: A Write & Read Book
Use this Scholastic Teachable mini-book to help your child create their own story about a remarkable animal (Scholastic, n.d.). This mini-book invites children to think about a specific animal they love and to write about why. They can draw a picture, print and glue one in the book, or use a family photo. This exercise also has them make comparisons to other animals and imagine what it would be like to have that animal as a pet. (NOTE: Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library cardholders can access and download this resource for free through Scholastic Teachables in our Digital Library Branch.)
Other Books about Remarkable Animals
Elephants Can Paint Too!
by Katya Arnold
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005
Grades 1 - 8
Lexile 420L-820L
This book is about Asian elephants who were taught to hold a paintbrush and create art. Author Katya Arnold documents the lives of elephants in Thailand who have been part of her art classes through the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project.
Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship
by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu
Scholastic Press, 2006
Grades PK - 5
Lexile 740L-1010L
This book is about a baby hippo who was orphaned during a tsunami off the coast of Kenya. When the hippo was rescued and taken to a wildlife sanctuary, he struck up an unlikely friendship with a 130-year-old Aldabra tortoise. The two became an international phenomenon. This is the first of several books about them.
Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla
by Katherine Applegate
Clarion Books, 2014
Grades PK - 5
This is the story of the baby gorilla who was captured in central Africa and sold to a man who owned a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington. The gorilla was raised as a human when he was little, and then he lived in a concrete room as a mall side show until customers protested and he was sent to live in Zoo Atlanta. The gorilla also inspired a series of children’s novels by Katherine Applegate, The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob, and The One and Only Ruby.
References
Brookes Publishing. (2022, Sept. 15). 11 fun animal activities that encourage early language & literacy skills. Brookes Blog. https://blog.brookespublishing.com/11-fun-animal-activities-that-encourage-early-language-literacy-skills/
Colwell, J. (2019). Selecting texts for disciplinary literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 72(5), 631-637.
Cooperative Children's Book Center. (n.d.). Finding Winnie: The true story of the world’s most famous bear. [Review of the book Finding Winnie: The true story of the world’s most famous bear, by L. Mattick]. CCBC-Recommended Book Search. https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/recommended-books/?bookId=6686
Indiana Department of Education. (2023). English/Language Arts. https://www.in.gov/doe/students/indiana-academic-standards/englishlanguage-arts/
Mattick, L. (2015). Finding Winnie: The true story of the world’s most famous bear (S. Blackall, Illus.). Little, Brown & Company.
Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. (2023). Student Dictionary for Kids. https://www.merriam-webster.com/kids
Scholastic Inc. (n.d.). My favorite animal: A write & read book. Scholastic Teachables. https://teachables.scholastic.com/teachables/books/My-Favorite-Animal-A-Write-Read-Book-9780439557528_011.html
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