From Publishers Weekly
Fans of the Hundred Acre Wood can celebrate Pooh's 75th birthday with collector's editions of Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. Both books contain A.A. Milne's complete text as well as b&w decorations by Ernest H. Shepard. Dressed up for the party, each book features a redesigned jacket plus gold and silver gilded page edges, respectively. Each is sold separately, but they can be purchased together in a sturdy slipcased set.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade all levels?Penguin's production amplifies the fact that A.A. Milne has created some of the most memorable poetry and prose in children's literature. Charles Kuralt narrates all the tapes. When We Were Very Young resounds with Kuralt's lively reading of the nonsensical and onomatopoetic rhymes that fill the heads of toddlers. Opposite these poems, the narrator reads, with loving care, the verses about the real and imaginary playmates that warm youngsters' hearts. Now We Are Six reflects the growing complexity of a child's world. The narrator's voice is soft and vulnerable when reading of the innocent, inquisitive thoughts that preoccupy children, yet Kuralt speaks with a touch of exasperation when reading the poems depicting the young's struggle to understand the adult world. He does equally as well with Milne's stories. All the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood are introduced and their humorous escapades chronicled in Winnie-the-Pooh. While portraying the characters, Kuralt's child-like tone reflects their goodness, innocence, and wee intellect. The House at Pooh Corner continues the adventures of Pooh and introduces the bouncing, pouncing, lovable Tigger. Besides the delight children will experience when listening to the light-hearted, captivating stories, young listeners will also identify with the universal hopes, fears, and wishes of the characters. Kuralt's deep, learned-sounding voice gives the narration a fatherly, comforting feel. Libraries will want to acquire these high quality productions.?Mark P. Tierney, William B. Wade Elementary School, Waldorf, MD
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.