by Lindsay Mattick, Sophie Blackall
In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war.
Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey--from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England...
And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin.
Here is the remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.
Finding Winnie: The True Story
LINDSAY MATTICK, Harry Colebourn s great-granddaughter, is the vice-president of an award-winning public relations firm. Passionate about making a difference in her own backyard, Lindsay is a board member for several non-profit organizations including Timeraiser, Artbound and Help Tank. Based in Toronto, she has shared Harry and Winnie s story around the world. SOPHIE BLACKALL is the illustrator of many acclaimed picture books, including "Mr. and Mrs. Bunny Detectives Extraordinaire!" by Polly Horvath, "The Mighty Lalouche" by Matthew Olshan and "The Baby Tree". Her artwork has also appeared in murals as part of the New York City MTA s Arts for Transit program. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.