"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."— A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
A.A. Milne
The dad who wrote Pooh Bear
Alan Alexander Milne, everyone called him Alan, grew up in London, the son of a teacher. He went to a small private school where one of his teachers was the science-fiction writer H.G. Wells. Alan studied math at Cambridge and started writing humor pieces for magazines.
As an adult, Alan wrote plays, serious ones, for grown-up theaters. He was good at it. Then his son Christopher Robin Milne was born in 1920. The little boy got a teddy bear for his first birthday and named it after a real bear at the London Zoo (Winnie, short for Winnipeg).
Quick Facts
- Born: January 18, 1882
- From: London, England
- Job: Playwright, novelist, kids' book author
- Famous for: Winnie-the-Pooh & The House at Pooh Corner
The real Winnie was a real bear who lived at the London Zoo from 1915 to 1934. Christopher Robin Milne visited her, and named his teddy bear after her.
His Famous Stories
Read Milne's stories on Worldly
Pooh is one of the gentlest, warmest series ever written for kids. On Worldly, every page is adapted to your reading level.
1926Christopher Robin and his bear go on small adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with their forest friends.
1928A new friend arrives in the wood, a bouncy tiger named Tigger. The friends discover what real friendship looks like.
1924A book of poems about a small boy and his world, including the first appearance of Edward Bear, who would become Pooh.
His Life, Year by Year
From plays to the Hundred Acre Wood
Milne wrote successful plays for grown-ups for years before Pooh made him famous, and slightly bitter about it.
Born in London
Alan Alexander Milne is born in London. His father runs a private school where one of the teachers is H.G. Wells.
Off to Cambridge
Alan goes to Cambridge to study math, but spends most of his time writing for the student magazine. He becomes its editor.
Magazine editor
Alan joins Punch, the famous London humor magazine, as assistant editor. He writes funny essays for years.
He marries Daphne
Alan marries Daphne de Sélincourt. He keeps writing humor pieces, then starts writing plays.
Christopher Robin is born
Alan and Daphne's only son, Christopher Robin Milne, is born. He'll get a teddy bear, a stuffed donkey, and a stuffed tiger, and they'll all end up famous.
When We Were Very Young
Alan publishes a book of poems about Christopher Robin called When We Were Very Young. It's a huge hit. A new character named Edward Bear appears in one poem.
Winnie-the-Pooh
Edward Bear is renamed Winnie-the-Pooh. Alan publishes a book of stories about him, illustrated by E.H. Shepard. Kids everywhere fall in love.
The House at Pooh Corner
Alan publishes the second Pooh book, introducing Tigger for the first time. It's even more popular than the first.
End of a quiet life
Alan dies at age 74 at his country home. Pooh Bear has by now become one of the most famous fictional characters in history, much to Alan's mixed feelings, since he'd wanted to be known for his plays.
The Hundred Acre Wood
Four friends from a toy box
Almost every Pooh character was based on a real toy that Christopher Robin actually owned. The toys are now in a museum in New York.
Pooh
A bear of very little brain
Pooh is gentle, slow, and obsessed with honey. He's not the cleverest bear, but he's the kindest. The original Pooh teddy bear is now in the New York Public Library.
Piglet
Small but brave
Piglet is anxious, tiny, and afraid of everything. But he turns out brave when his friends need him. The lesson of Piglet, being scared doesn't mean you can't do it.
Eeyore
Gloomy and lovable
Eeyore the donkey is always sad. His tail keeps falling off. Nobody ever throws him a real birthday party. But his friends love him, gloom and all.
Tigger
Bouncy and ridiculous
Tigger arrives in the second book. He bounces. He brags. He thinks he can do everything. He can't. He's a delight.
Wait… really?!
Six surprising things about A.A. Milne
His son's real toys are in a museum
The actual teddy bear, donkey, pig, tiger, and kangaroo that Christopher Robin played with are on display at the New York Public Library. Pooh is a little flat from being squashed. Eeyore's tail is fixed on with a pin.
Winnie was a real bear
Winnie was a Canadian black bear who lived at the London Zoo from 1915 to 1934. She was named after Winnipeg, the city her caretaker came from. Christopher Robin Milne loved her.
Milne grew bitter about Pooh's fame
Alan had spent years writing serious plays for grown-ups. Then Pooh became so famous that his other work got forgotten. He sometimes resented that everyone only wanted Pooh.
Christopher Robin hated being famous
The real Christopher Robin Milne disliked being a children's-book character. He felt teased at school and avoided talking about it for most of his life. He and his father became distant.
He worked on the script for a Wells movie
Alan and H.G. Wells stayed in touch their whole lives. Alan even helped adapt some of Wells's stories for the stage.
He wrote a mystery novel
Most people don't know it, but Milne wrote a detective novel called The Red House Mystery (1922). It's still in print, and Agatha Christie wrote about admiring it.
Good questions, answered
A.A. Milne FAQ
What does A.A. stand for?+
Alan Alexander. He went by Alan all his life. Editors and publishers preferred the initials A.A., and that's what stuck on his books.
Was Christopher Robin a real person?+
Yes! Christopher Robin Milne was A.A. Milne's only child, born in 1920. The toys in Pooh were Christopher Robin's actual toys.
Was Pooh a real bear?+
The teddy bear was named after a REAL bear at the London Zoo, a Canadian black bear named Winnie (short for Winnipeg). Christopher Robin Milne used to visit her.
What age is Winnie-the-Pooh good for?+
Pooh works as a read-aloud from age 3, and as a chapter book from about age 6. The Worldly version is adapted to fit each reader's level.
Did Milne write other books for kids?+
Yes, he wrote two books of poems (When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six) plus the two Pooh books. That's the famous four. He also wrote plays, a mystery novel, and lots of essays for grown-ups.
Ready for an adventure?
Dive in with A.A. Milne
More Milne stories coming soon to Worldly. Sign up to be the first to know.