Heartwarming watercolor illustrations depict the delight Harry Coleburn, military veterinarian took in his new charge, Winnifred the black bear. While the storyline follows the endearing role Winnie played among soldiers at military camps, it conveys the critical role animal health played during World War I, a time when horses played the role of today's heavy equipment. The well-woven story comes full-circle when Winnie's story collides with Christopher Robin, who renames the stuffed bear in his care Winnie-the-pooh after the gentle bear he met at the London Zoo. Who better to craft beloved tales of the child-animal bond, than his father, A.A. Milne. Masterful storytelling. Who could care for a bear?

When Harry Colebourn saw a baby bear for sale at the train station, he knew he could care for it. Harry was a veterinarian. But he was also a soldier in training for World War I.

Harry named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, his company's home town, and he brought her along to the training camp in England. Winnie followed Harry everywhere and slept under his cot every night. Before long, she became the regiment's much-loved mascot.

But who could care for the bear when Harry had to go to the battleground in France? Harry found just the right place for Winnie while he was away -- the London Zoo. There a little boy named Christopher Robin came along and played with Winnie -- he could care for this bear too!

Sally Walker's heartwarming story, paired with Jonathan Voss's evocative illustrations, brings to life the story of the real bear who inspired Winnie the Pooh.

Recounts the true story that inspired the Winnie-the-Pooh classics, following the World War I veterinarian and soldier who rescued a baby bear, made her his regiment's mascot, and introduced her to Christopher Robin at the London Zoo.