Rosemary Wells (My Very First Mother Goose) introduces A.A. Milne's 1924 classic When We Were Very Young to a new generation of young readers by sweetly illustrating 12 of Milne's superb poems. The prolific author/illustrator uses her signature style to fashion the poems into mini dramas that feature animals, humans and a gentle palette. Small vignettes introduce the characters and objects in each piece, such as "James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree" about a little boy who is so worried about his mother that even the royal family becomes concerned.
All Wells's stories are humorously depicted, complete with speech bubbles that beg to be read aloud. British standbys, like the red phone booths, double-decker buses and the London skyline, make appearances, and "Old-Fashioned Words" appear in a glossary. This collection displays the incredible talent of both Milne and Wells and will surely be fun for adults and children to read together. --Melinda Greenblatt, freelance book reviewer