The House at Pooh Corner
First edition
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| Author | A. A. Milne |
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| Illustrator | E. H. Shepard |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Methuen & Co. Ltd. (London) |
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Publication date
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1928 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Preceded by | Winnie-the-Pooh |
The House at Pooh Corner (1928) is the second volume of stories about Winnie-the-Pooh, written by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. It is notable for the introduction of the character Tigger.
The title comes from a story in which Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet build a house for Eeyore. In another story the game of Poohsticks is invented. As with the first book, the chapters are mostly in episodic format and can be read independently of each other. The only exception to this is with Chapters 8 and 9 - Chapter 9 carries directly on from the end of Chapter 8, as the characters search for a new house for Owl, his house having been blown down in the previous chapter.
Hints that Christopher Robin is growing up, scattered throughout the book, come to a head in the final chapter, in which the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood throw him a farewell party after learning that he must leave them soon. It is made obvious, though not stated explicitly, that he is starting school. In the end, they say good-bye to Christopher Robin. Pooh and Christopher Robin say a long, private farewell, in which Pooh promises not to forget him.
In 1960 HMV recorded a dramatised version with songs (music by Harold Fraser-Simson) of two episodes from the book (Chapters 2 and 8), starring Ian Carmichael as Pooh, Denise Bryer as Christopher Robin (who also narrated), Hugh Lloyd as Tigger, Penny Morrell as Piglet, and Terry Norris as Eeyore. This was released on a 45rpm EP.
In 1971, singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins released a song called "House at Pooh Corner" as a duet with Jim Messina on their album Sittin' In. Although the song was written by Loggins, it had previously been released by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on their 1970 album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy. The song is told from the perspective of both Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin. The first verse, told from Pooh's point of view, describes how he and Robin's days together "disappeared all too soon" and how he "can't seem to find [his] way back to the Wood." The second verse, told from Christopher Robin's point of view, tells of how Pooh has a honey jar stuck on his nose and how he came to him asking for help, but "from here, no one knows where he goes." The song uses these verses as an allegorical musing on the loss of innocence and childhood and the nostalgia for simpler, happier times. In 1994, Loggins re-released the song as "Return to Pooh Corner" on the album of the same name. A duet with Amy Grant, this version added a third verse, told from the perspective of an adult Christopher Robin who gives Winnie-the-Pooh to his own son and hears Pooh whisper to him, "welcome home." The song ends with Christopher Robin happy that he's "finally come back to the house at Pooh Corner." This third verse was based on Loggins' own feelings of happiness after the birth of his third son. The song has since become a staple of Loggins' live performances, and it remains one of his most personal, popular and beloved songs.
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