Ernest H. Shepard

Ernest H. Shepard

  • 5 stars across 11 books
A.A. Milne grew up in a school - his parents ran Henley House in Kilburn, for young boys - but never intended to be a children's writer. Pooh he saw as a pleasant sideline to his main career as a playwright and regular scribe for the satirical literary magazine, Punch. Writing was very much the dominant feature of A.A. (Alan Alexander)'s life. He joined the staff of Punch in 1906, and became Assistant Editor. In the course of two decades he fought in the First World War, wrote some 18 plays and three novels, and fathered a son, Christopher Robin Milne, in 1920 (although he described the baby as being more his wife's work than his own!). Observations of little Christopher led Milne to produce a book of children's poetry, When We Were Very Young, in 1924, and in 1926 the seminal Winnie-the-Pooh. More poems followed in Now We Are Six (1927) and Pooh returned in The House at Pooh Corner (1928). After that, in spite of enthusiastic demand, Milne declined to write any more children's stories as he felt that, with his son growing up, they would now only be copies based on a memory. In one way, Christopher Robin turned out to be more famous than his father, though he became uncomfortable with his fame as he got older, preferring to avoid the literary limelight and run a bookshop in Dartmouth. Nevertheless, he published three volumes of his reminiscences before his death in 1996.
3rd October 2019

The Wind in the Willows

'There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.' From picnics by the... MoreThe Wind in the Willows

(37 reviews) Review
25th February 2016

Winnie-the-Pooh

“Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, about last Friday, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest all by himself under t... MoreWinnie-the-Pooh

(9 reviews) Review
25th February 2016

When We Were Very Young

“They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace – Christopher Robin went down with Alice.”          Curl up with A.A.Milne... MoreWhen We Were Very Young

(2 reviews) Review
25th February 2016

The House at Pooh Corner

“In that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.”          This is ... MoreThe House at Pooh Corner

(1 review) Review
1st November 2013

An Gwyns i'n Helyk

(0 reviews) Review
6th May 2004

Winnie-the-Pooh Collection

Curl up with a box set of gift books filled with true children's classics with A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh Collection. ... MoreWinnie-the-Pooh Collection

(0 reviews) Review
19th February 2009

Winnie the Pooh's 1,2,3

Learning to count is more fun with Winnie-the-Pooh and friends. This sturdy board book with an elegant, timeless look ha... MoreWinnie the Pooh's 1,2,3

(0 reviews) Review
14th October 2010

The Winnie-the-Pooh Cookbook

The famously rotund bear is happiest when in possession of a brimming pot of honey, but when it comes time for meals and... MoreThe Winnie-the-Pooh Cookbook

(0 reviews) Review
2nd June 2016

Now We Are Six

“But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever. So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever!” Curl up with Winnie... MoreNow We Are Six

(0 reviews) Review
Image to show page is loading Show More Books

Most Popular Book

Recent Reviews

  • The Wind in the Willows

    The Wind in the Willows

    by LoteV

    The book is about two friends, Mole and his friend Ratty finding what life is like when ihe is above ground level. One day, they get to meet another f...

  • The Wind in the Willows

    The Wind in the Willows

    I read this book to my girl as we are going through the 100 must read books for kids. We both found it a little slow in places. A nice idea for a stor...

  • The Wind in the Willows

    The Wind in the Willows

    by AngeH

    The illustrations are beautiful but the story is so slow and the language so old fashioned that we actually gave up half way through. It's a shame bec...