Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne is one of the classic children’s literature characters who everyone knows, but thanks to Walt Disney. Growing up I never read the original book by the British author, I only knew Disney’s American interpretation of the stories. So in reading this book, I was surprised that while the characters’ personalities are generally the same between both interpretations, Milne’s version really focuses on the shortcomings of each animal. Pooh is the Bear Without a Brain; Piglet is a coward; Owl is pretentious; and Eeyore flips between depression and actual self-loathing. While the stories were friendly and had happy endings, I couldn’t help thinking how children might be influenced by the subtle clues personifying each personality of the animals. In the end, I guess the take-away is that we all have our faults but we can all coexist, accept, and help each other, as Christopher Robin does for Pooh. Overall, I unexpectedly enjoyed reading these stories and experiencing the original versions of these characters.