Return To Pooh Corner

Writer's Block: Half-naked bear, friends return as dinner topic

By Tim Hennagir

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ return to the Hundred-Acre Wood hasn’t made my “must-see” summer movie list. That’s because Pooh and his pals were quickly kicked to the curb by the teenage set at the Hennagir household during a recent dinner discussion.

“Winnie the Pooh: The Movie,” set for a July 15 release in theaters, has been billed in reviews as a reboot of Disney’s “Bear of Very Little Brain” film franchise. The film features two previously unadapted stories from the original books (“In Which Eeyore Loses His Tail, and Pooh Finds One” from “Winnie-the-Pooh” and “In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day, and We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings” from “The House at Pooh Corner”).

On reflection, the kids’ cinematic communication was a bit sad, because the last time the absent-minded bear was mentioned, the questions and responses were much more delightful as a parent.

Pooh’s preference for not wearing pants originally prompted a side-splitting fashion review. Here’s the cartoon clothing scorecard: Piglet, some sort of weird tube-top; baby Roo, a blue shirt; mother Kanga, a white apron, but only when it’s cold and snowy; Eeyore, pink bow on tail and Christopher Robin, fully clothed.

Owl, Tigger and Rabbit were “running around nakey,” according to daughter Hollie. Our information source? Disney’s 22nd full-length animated movie, “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.”

Apparently, things haven’t improved much in the Hundred-Acre Wood. A quick search of Wikipedia, my Internet source of inspiration when faced with column research challenges, yielded a shocking bit of breaking news: Apparently the police are on duty because Christopher Robin has been abducted.

That’s not the case according to the “official” movie synopsis provided by Disney. Christopher Robin’s status isn’t clear because Owl misinterprets a note and the gang goes on a wild quest to save Christopher from an imaginary culprit.

Sound familiar? It did to my 16-year-old son, Seth. “Ripoff,” he said with a smirk. “They did the same thing in ‘Pooh’s Grand Adventure.’”

That 1997 release-to-video, which was a kid favorite before video games invaded the basement, featured “The Search for Christopher Robin” as a catchy subtitle. After misreading a honey-covered note from Christopher Robin, Pooh and his friends Rabbit, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore head out to find and rescue him from a place called “Skull.” In reality, Christopher Robin had headed back to school.

▷▷▷▷▷ Return To Pooh Corner | Soundtracks

(Visit the Top Rated in Soundtracks list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.) Review & Description

Here is a collection of some of my favorite children's songs covering my many years of being a dad. I consider these mostly classic compositions, beautiful and simple; some written for movies, some haunting standards and a few written by contemporary singers for their own children. Of all the things my kids and I have done together, the quiet times of night-songs and bedtime snuggles will endure as my most precious memories. I can still see Crosby's face as a little one begging me for "more, Daddy, more, more" of "Winnie The Pooh" (as he called it), or rocking Cody to "To-Ra-Loo-Ra" (if he didn't fall asleep before we made it to his bedroom). And it's not over yet. I'm still singing to Isabella and on into the future to Luke. And I'm loving it. They're my best audience, even if my only applause is the deep slow breathing of a sleeping baby. Delicious. So at long last, the work of a lifetime. Here are the songs I sing to my children...should I say "part one"? - Kenny Loggins

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. The appeal of this album isn't limited to children--though the gentle repertoire and soft acoustic musical accompaniment will surely soothe little ones at the end of a long day, adults will find the silky-smooth vocals, beautiful harmonies, and creative production just as engaging. Parents will enjoy listening to the metamorphosis of Loggins's 1969 Top 40 hit "House on Pooh Corner" to the updated '90s version. And with titles like the traditional "All the Pretty Little Ponies" and "To-Ra-Loo-Ra" and covers of Paul Williams's "Rainbow Connection," Jimmy Webb's "The Last Unicorn," and John Lennon's "Love," Mom might find herself borrowing this CD from the nursery when it comes time to kick back and relax after the kids are asleep.

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