Winnie-the-Pooh: Once There Was a Bear

‘Winnie-the-Pooh has always been a very special (albeit funny old) bear, not least of all because his books are filled with wonderful words of wisdom.‘, Stylist magazine

‘Once There Was A Bear by Jane Riordan is a prequel to the AA Milne Winnie the Pooh books and delightfully decorated by Mark Burgess.’, Stylist magazine

‘Once There Was a Bear is a beautiful hardback’, Artists and Illustrators magazine

‘Often, the original is the best and any attempts to recreate a classic will simply flop. But with Once There Was a Bear the process was so painstaking, the writing so charming and the illustrations such a lovely echo of the past that reading it feels simultaneously like experiencing the very old and the brand new all at once. And we’d say that’s a brief perfectly fulfilled.’, Artists and Illustrators magazine

‘For those who don’t know the background of the bear bought from Harrods and how he met his friends, it’s a treat.’, Daily Mail Christmas gift guide

‘Not only is Winnie-the-Pooh a much-loved character, the appeal of these stories is enduring. They have followed me through my childhood, into adulthood and, now, I can share these cherished books with the next generation. I’m reminded of the power of reading, of shared stories and connection. There’s something wonderful about that.’, Northern Soul

‘It’s the forest where Christopher Robin once played, and here, a new generation are keen to retrace Pooh’s history.’, WYNT.com

‘radiating the warmth and playfulness of the original stories, Once There Was a Bear is a tribute to The Best Bear in All the World – for ages 5 years to 105 years!’, MyWeekly

‘Jane Riordan has put together a collection of brand-new Pooh stories to revel in, to think with and dream about’, Bookanista Children’s Gift Guide

Jane Riordan

Jane Riordan originally trained to be a primary school teacher but her love of children’s books led to a career in publishing. Since then, she has edited and written countless books for children, most notably Winnie-the-Pooh Goes to London and the official Winnie-the-Pooh prequel, Once There Was a Bear.

Mark Burgess

After leaving art school Mark Burgess designed greetings cards before starting to write and illustrate children’s books. He has now written and illustrated over thirty books and designed more than five hundred greetings cards.