A Poke at Pooh!

Tigger's Latest Tome!

Tigger Comes to the Forest by A.A. Milne. Adapted by Stephen Krensky with 'decorations' by Ernest H. Shepard. Dutton Children's Books 2002. $13.99.

So here's a book from A.A. Milne that you may never have heard of. That's because he didn't write it...he wrote The House at Pooh Corner...and those clever folks at Dutton, who published the original back in the 1920's, have found a way to milk the Milne cash cow a bit more. (They told me this class would be educational.) Tigger Comes to the Forest apparently is an excerpt from that very same Pooh series of four original books that were recently named in 17th place by a national reader's poll in England of the 100 most-popular books published during the 20th century (www.pooh-corner.com/biomilne.html).

All of that notwithstanding, Tigger Comes to the Forest the is story of that curious outsider and his introduction to the denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood. It's what you might call a short story. If you count two title pages, a blank page, the verso page, the contents page and one full page illustration, that's six pages; now add that to the actual pages of the story and you get a tidy 48 page book.

Pooh may be the bear of little brain, but Tigger is the tiger of few social graces. While not unmannerly, his ignorance of etiquette's finer points is nearly as endearing as his need to please. Tigger is unfamiliar with mirrors, wrestles with tablecloths, and is not above the occasional loud "Worraworraworraworraworra," even if folks are sleeping nearby. He does however, know enough to go outdoors to spit out a mouthful of Piglet's 'haycorns' despite having announced on this and at least one previous occasion that "Tiggers like everything!" Everything except Pooh's honey, Eeyore's thistles, most everything in Kanga's cupboard, and the aforementioned 'haycorns.'

But of course, our story eventually illustrates the wisdom found in those oft-repeated phrases; 'Good things come to those who wait' and 'One Roo's trashy-tasting medicine is another Tigger's scrumptious Extract of Malt.' It also points out that some of us, and perhaps especially newcomers, may need a little extra help. I think it also suggests that an individual may be different, loud, not enjoy all the same things we do, and God forbid, that individual may even be bouncy...but those differences only broaden our experience and hopefully, our outlook.

Can a Tigger live harmoniously under the same roof as a Kanga and her Roo? Apparently, they can. Harmoniously, and happily, ever after.

-Jack McCracken