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.
Author Biography
Ernest H. Shepard was born in 1879Â in London. His father was an architect and
his mother whodied when he was ten years old was the daughter of a notable
watercolorist. It was she who firstencouraged young Ernest to paint and draw.
Art became Ernest's passion, and after attendingHeatÂherly's Art School and
the Royal Acadamy Schools, Shepard supported himself by drawingfor the
illustrated papers and by illustrating books. In 1903, Shepard married Florence
Chaplin. Florence was a mural painter and fellow student atthe Academy. The
Shepards had two children: Graham, who was killed in World War II, andMary, who
later illustrated Mary L. Travers Mary Poppins books. When World War IÂ broke
out, Shepard served in France, Belgium, and Italy, attaining the rank ofMajor.
On his return to England, he continued with his art. He became a regular
contributor toPunch, the classic British humor magazine, where he met A. A.
Milne, a man who was to beinstrumental to his career. Shepard was elected to the
editorial board of Punch, and shortlythereafter, he agreed to do the
illustrations for Milne's first book of verse, When We Were VeryYoung. 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 donatedseveral hundred drawings
to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.Ernest H. Shepard continued to
pursue his love of drawing until his death in1976.copyright ? 2000Â by Penguin
Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.