Winnie-The-Pooh

For nearly seventy years, readers have been delighted by the adventures of Christopher Robin and his lovable friends.  Paired with the perfectly suited drawings of Ernest H.  Shepard, A.A. Milne's classic story continues to captivate children of all ages.

In 1903, Shepard married Florence Chaplin. Florence was a mural painter and fellow student at the Academy. The Shepards had two children: Graham, who was killed in World War II, and Mary, who later illustrated Mary L. Travers Mary Poppins books.

When World War I broke out, Shepard served in France, Belgium, and Italy, attaining the rank of Major. On his return to England, he continued with his art. He became a regular contributor to Punch, the classic British humor magazine, where he met A. A. Milne, a man who was to be instrumental to his career. Shepard was elected to the editorial board of Punch, and shortly thereafter, he agreed to do the illustrations for Milne's first book of verse, When We Were Very Young.

The illustrations that Shepard created for all four of the Pooh books received worldwide acclaim. For the next thirty years, he continued to illustrate books for both adults and children. In 1973, for the first time, he added color to his drawings for Winnie-the-Pooh. Shepard ultimately donated several hundred drawings to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Ernest H. Shepard continued to pursue his love of drawing until his death in 1976. copyright ? 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.