Jane Riordan originally trained to be a primary school teacher but her love of children's books led to a career in publishing. Since then, she has edited and written countless books for children, most notably Winnie-the-Pooh Goes to London and the official Winnie-the-Pooh prequel, Once There Was a Bear. After leaving art school Mark Burgess designed greetings cards before starting to write and illustrate children's books. He has now written and illustrated over thirty books and designed more than five hundred greetings cards.
‘Winnie-the-Pooh has always been a very special (albeit funny old) bear, not least of all because his books are filled with wonderful words of wisdom.', Stylist magazine ‘Winnie the Pooh is as popular now as he was 95 years ago, not least with collectors’, Lancashire Post ‘It’s so easy as a child to identify with Winnie-the-Pooh. The humour doesn’t talk down at you … Mainly, though, I love the way the characters are so distinct. Even as a child you can recognise the innocence of Piglet or the strange adult qualities of Eeyore. You just know you are with friends and family.’ Jim Broadbent in The Telegraph Praise for Once There Was a Bear: ‘Often, the original is the best and any attempts to recreate a classic will simply flop. But with Once There Was a Bear the process was so painstaking, the writing so charming and the illustrations such a lovely echo of the past that reading it feels simultaneously like experiencing the very old and the brand new all at once.’, Artists and Illustrators magazine ‘For those who don’t know the background of the bear bought from Harrods and how he met his friends, it’s a treat.’, Daily Mail Christmas gift guide ‘Not only is Winnie-the-Pooh a much-loved character, the appeal of these stories is enduring. They have followed me through my childhood, into adulthood and, now, I can share these cherished books with the next generation. I’m reminded of the power of reading, of shared stories and connection. There’s something wonderful about that.’, Northern Soul ‘It's the forest where Christopher Robin once played, and here, a new generation are keen to retrace Pooh's history.’, WYNT.com ‘radiating the warmth and playfulness of the original stories … a tribute to The Best Bear in All the World – for ages 5 years to 105 years!’, MyWeekly ‘A collection of brand-new Pooh stories to revel in, to think with and dream about’, Bookanista Children’s Gift Guide