Before Winnie-the-Pooh, A. A. Milne wrote a book of poems inspired by his young son, Christopher Robin. When We Were Very Young came out in 1924 with drawings by E. H. Shepard and quickly became a bestseller. The poems are full of nursery logic and wordplay: a king who only wants a little butter for his bread, a boy who keeps a careful eye on his mother, and a favorite stair that is neither up nor down.
The bear in Teddy Bear is often described as an early glimpse of the bear who would become Winnie-the-Pooh. Each poem below has its own page with the full text and a read-aloud.
New to Milne? Start with Halfway Down or Happiness, then save Vespers for bedtime.
Press Play Once
Watch 10 of A. A. Milne’s bedtime poems from When We Were Very Young together in one 26-minute compilation video. ✦ Watch on YouTube
The Poems
Tap a title to read the full text and watch its read-aloud.
- Buckingham PalaceChristopher Robin and Alice watch the Changing of the Guard.
- DisobedienceJames James Morrison Morrison loses his mother.
- Halfway DownA favorite stair, neither up nor down.
- HappinessJohn in his great big waterproof boots.
- The IslandDreaming of sailing away to a faraway island.
- The King’s BreakfastAll the King wants is a little butter for his bread.
- Puppy and IRunning off to the hills with a puppy.
- Teddy BearA tubby bear learns to love his shape.
- The Three FoxesWormses, wopses and mince-pieses.
- VespersChristopher Robin says his prayers as his thoughts drift away.