3.5 stars

Winnie the Pooh was a charming and incredibly nostalgic read. A.A. Milne captures the voice and perspective of a child incredibly well throughout. From their curiosity to their nonsense adventures and joyful play Milne revels in presenting whimsey and unabashed fun throughout the story. His ability to mimic the feeling of a child playing with their stuffed animals in the garden felt effortless

E. H. Shepard's accompanying illustrations were so warm and comforting. His visualization of the Hundred Acre Woods and all its inhabitants are just as iconic and Milne's words and the story would not have been the same without his expressive textured art.

I did find the narrative frame of the novel slightly strange especially given how under-explained it is. But somehow Milne's blend of an external narrator telling Christopher Robin the story of the Hundred Acre Wood and the creatures of the Wood coming to life to tell their own story really works. Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Kanga, and Roo were such lively and distinct characters and their permanence in the cultural zeitgeist only proves how quality Milne and Shepard's storytelling was.