Tracing the original 'Winnie the Pooh'

Avoid them like the plague. But naturally, these are the very books young parents grab by the handful to shower on their children — and they always seem like such a bargain. And they are, if you don’t particularly care about Winnie the Pooh. The glossy Disney editions (and the Disney Pooh animation series like The Tigger Movie) are not the original A A Milne stories, nor are they the E H  Shepard illustrations. They are just based on the original source. Look instead for the faithful Dutton reprints; I always find, mixed with the Disney stuff in the bargain boxes, at least a few copies of these lovely reprints of the original Pooh storybooks. You can imagine then my aversion (and those of the other Pooh lovers) to the new Disney Winnie the Pooh film, just released in theatres. Some weeks ago, when I began running into clips and trailers for the new version on You Tube, I was repelled enough to swear that I won’t go anywhere near it. From the few stray clips, I could already make out that Eeeyore and some of the other denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood had American accents. I had hoped Disney had come far enough to leave behind such sacrilege (to this, add the Pooh merchandise, Pooh toys, plastic figurines and straight to video animated shorts); Winnie the Pooh is such an iconic British classic, and perhaps the greatest children’s picture book in the world. And then the reviews began pouring in for the new Pooh. Applause, standing ovation, critical acclaim. Even the difficult to please Armond White praised it as a postmodern classic. One fascinating aspect that he pointed out caught my interest was that this new version actually retained the original text and graphic background of the Pooh storybooks. The characters were interacting with the text, with the words and even the punctuation marks replacing digital animation for a storybook feel. White writes: “The sketched and painted look of trees, fields, clouds and rocks is not realistic; it preserves the quality of book illustration where nature is imaginatively rendered. At the same time, it restores to animation the seldom-achieved counterpoint of reading-and-seeing. (Nothing sticks in a child’s mind like a storybook blue sky, and here it moves!

Free Winnie the Pooh 4th of July Graphics from Disney | Princess ...

In honor of Winnie the Pooh returning to theatres on July 15th , Walt Disney Animation Studios has provided us with an exclusive Independence Day Image of our favorite Silly Old Bear! These graphics can be used for non-commercial use.  For the full-size version, click on the graphic  and then download it to your computer.

I’ve seen the new movie and it’s FABULOUS!  Your young children will love it! It’s a combination of several of the original Milne books and it’s put together beautifully.  The music is amazing as well and stay for the credits, they’re so much fun as well!

Check out the links below to find out more about the movie and my trip to Hollywood to meet with the directors, animators, and producers of the new film.

Like WINNIE THE POOH on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WinniethePooh .

WINNIE THE POOH opens in theatres everywhere on July 15th.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

Walt Disney Animation Studios returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with “Winnie the Pooh.” Featuring the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very little brain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo—and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail.  “Ever have one of those days where you just can’t win, Eeyore?” asks Pooh.  Owl sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some honey. Inspired by three stories from A.A. Milne’s books in Disney’s classic, hand-drawn art style, “Winnie the Pooh” hits theatres on July 15th!