Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick Illustrated by Sophie Blackall


Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick is much more than a charming picture book. While it appeals to young readers with its beautiful illustrations by Sophie Blackall  and the story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, it also provides rich opportunities for middle school and high school students to explore history, literature, and social-emotional learning.

The book tells the true story of Harry Colebourn, a Canadian veterinarian who, during World War I, adopts a bear cub he names Winnie. Winnie travels with Harry and becomes a beloved companion for the soldiers. Eventually, Harry donates Winnie to the London Zoo, where a young Christopher Robin Milne meets her sparking the creation of Winnie-the-Pooh. The author, Lindsay Mattick, is Harry’s great-granddaughter, and the story is framed as a family narrative, connecting past to present.

Curriculum Connections

Social Studies / History   

  • World War I Connections: Students can explore Canada’s role in WWI, life in the trenches, and how animals were used in wartime for companionship and morale.

  • Immigration & Legacy: The story provides an entry point into discussions about family history, genealogy, and how personal narratives intersect with larger historical events.

  • Historical Inquiry: Students can compare primary and secondary sources, including Harry Colebourn’s actual diary entries and photographs.

English Language Arts

  • Storytelling & Family Narratives: The framing device of a parent telling a child a story can inspire students to write their own family histories.

  • Literary Inspiration: Students can examine how real-life events inspire fiction and analyze the transformation of a true story into a beloved literary classic.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

  • Empathy & Compassion: Harry’s care for Winnie highlights themes of kindness, responsibility, and making difficult decisions.

  • Letting Go: Harry’s choice to leave Winnie at the zoo prompts discussion about sacrifice, responsibility, and love.

  • Connection Across Generations: The book models how storytelling can connect families, strengthen identity, and preserve memory.

Discussion Questions

Social Studies

  1. How does Finding Winnie help us understand Canada’s contributions during World War I?

  2. Why do you think animals were important to soldiers during wartime? Can you find other examples in history?

  3. How do personal stories like Harry Colebourn’s add to our understanding of larger historical events?

English Language Arts

  1. How does Lindsay Mattick use the frame story (mother to child) to connect the past to the present?

  2. In what ways can real-life events inspire fictional stories? Do you know other examples where history inspired literature?

  3. Why do you think Winnie-the-Pooh continues to resonate with audiences nearly 100 years later?

Social-Emotional Learning

  1. What does Harry’s decision to give Winnie to the zoo reveal about love and responsibility?

  2. How do family stories help us understand who we are? Can you think of a family story that shaped your sense of identity?

  3. What lessons about empathy and compassion can we learn from Harry’s relationship with Winnie?

Finding Winnie bridges history, literature, and family storytelling, making it an excellent picture book to bring into middle and high school classrooms. It reminds students that behind every piece of literature, there may be a true story waiting to be uncovered and that sometimes, history is best remembered through the bonds of love, responsibility, and imagination.

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