This weeks book of the week is a beautiful edition of The world of Christopher Robin - containing 'when we were very young' and 'now we are six' witten by A. A. Milne with decorations and illustrations by E. H. Shepard. Published by Methuen in 1959.‘In some way the name of Christopher Robin has caught the fancy of children, ’ wrote A. A. Milne, ‘and the child to whom it belongs has always been identified with the two books of verse into which, his name (actually) so seldom comes.’ Indeed, for millions of children and their parents, ‘Christopher Robin’ has meant the two classics When we were very young and Now we are six, and the very personal world of childhood conjured up by E. H. Shepard’s drawings. All the verses and the pictures are here collected into one book, and Mr. Shepard has added eight new illustrations in colour as well.
From - Now we are six There’s sun on the river and sun on the hill …
You can hear the sea if you stand quite still!
There’s eight new puppies at Roundabout Farm –
And I saw an old sailor with only one arm!
There’s wind on the river and wind on the hill …
There’s a dark dead water-wheel under the mill!
I saw a fly which had just been drowned –
And I know where a rabbit goes into the ground!
Has anybody seen my mouse?
I opened his box for half a minute, Just to make sure he was really in it, and while I was looking, he jumped outside!
I tried to catch him, I tried, I tried … I think he’s somewhere about the house.
Has anyone seen my mouse?
I love When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six! I admit I'm not a big fan of Winnie the Pooh cartoons (not when I was a kid, and not even now ...) but I love this collection of verses from A.A. Milne.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many short poems to love: 'If I Were King;' 'Lines & Squares;' 'Politeness' etc.
My son (now aged 38) loved the cartoons when he was small but like you I much prefer the books. The poems are a joy.
ReplyDeleteBarbara