Thea Feldman

A collection of stories by Catherine Hapka and Thea Feldman from the 2012 "Tales of Friendship with Winnie the Pooh" TV series originally broadcast as 5-minute interstitial segments on the Disney Junior channel in the UK. The show mixes live action and animation as an on-screen human narrator reads the stories and provides all the voices for the characters as pages in his book spring to life to show the action. These stories were also published in individual books with subtitles promoting the moral lessons included, like sharing, being thoughtful, appreciating differences, etc.

I've only watched one episode of the show on YouTube and am not fond of the narrator. Fortunately, he's not included in the books. The stories are all sappy, simplistic and heavy-handed in order to get their moral lesson across quickly and efficiently. It's all very exceedingly mediocre.

A Portrait of Friendship

Everyone in the Hundred-Acre Wood has agreed to sit for Piglet so he can paint their portrait. But getting them to sit still proves a problem that Piglet has to solve creatively.

Hide and Pooh Seek

Pooh is "it" for a game of hide-and-seek but has trouble finding anyone when he only checks his favorite spots in the Hundred-Acre Wood. He'll need to think like his friends to find his friends. Just like those who hunt serial killers.

The Sweetest of Friends

Pooh and Piglet are practically inseparable friends, but one day they end up losing each other for a short while, which the story would have us believe somehow puts their friendship in danger? Well, they cope, so no problem . . . and really no point either.

Bounce with Me!

Tigger is crestfallen when his new bouncing game is too hard for almost anyone but him to play. But the exhibitionist in him is heartened when his friends are at least willing to show up and cheer him on as he plays it with Roo.

The Pooh Sticks Game

The friends realize it's hard to tell who has won Pooh sticks if they all go at once and the sticks all look pretty much the same. So they paint their sticks and take turns in a tournament format. Next thing you know, they'll be doping and using manufactured carbon-fiber sticks with embedded GPS and advertising decals. Way to ruin the purity of the sport, you sell outs!

Don't Be Roo-diculous!

Roo gets sulky when he is too small to reach or get down from the branches of trees from which he wants to swing. But then he remembers ladders exist. And Kanga shows she's no helicopter parent when she's proud to watch her smart boy swinging around high off the ground. Some parents in the reading audience may take issue though.

Friendly Bothers

Orderly Rabbit is tired of the chaos that Tigger's bouncing and Pooh's clumsiness brings to his garden. But Roo is concerned he'll miss his friends, and Kanga persuades him to think of them as forces of nature -- like wind and drought -- that have to be accepted with patience and constant tending. I'm more inclined to consider Tigger an asshole myself.

Better Than Honey?

When Rabbit tells him he is too obsessed with honey, Pooh spends the day trying other things. We are treated to the rare sight of Pooh eating vegetables, but the rest of the story is unremarkable.

Forget Me Knot

Pooh's friends comfort him when it appears Christopher Robin has stood him up for a playdate. The obvious and dull ending occurs.

Owl's Reading Lessons

Owl's birthday is tomorrow, and Pooh and his friends borrow some of Owl's books so they can surprise him by reading to him as a present. But they all forgot they're illiterate and easily distracted, so no one is ready to read on the big day. A sappy ending ensues.

Under-the-Weather Friends

Pooh has a cold and is overwhelmed when all his friends try to take care of him at once. A ho-hum lesson about taking turns.

A Bounciful Friendship

For the umpteenth time, Tigger's friends get upset when his bouncing causes damage and chaos. For the umpteenth time Tigger learns to be more considerate and makes amends. For the umpteenth time, we realize it's not going to last.

Owl Be Seeing You

When Owl goes away for a family reunion, everyone looks forward to a week free of the talkative blowhard, but the story requires them to instead miss his garrulousness. I could do without him though and would find him the easiest animal to vote out of the Hundred-Acre Wood.

Piglet the Brave

For the umpteenth time, Piglet is afraid of shadows and, well, pretty much everything else. For the umpteenth time, he learns to be brave. For the umpteenth time, we realize it's not going to last.

Roo's Day Away

Roo goes out to play with Tigger and Pooh while Kanga stays home to do chores. Talking with his friends gives him a better appreciation of all the things his mother does for him.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents:
• A Portrait of Friendship / Catherine Hapka
• Hide and Pooh Seek / Catherine Hapka
• The Sweetest of Friends / Thea Feldman
• Bounce with Me! / Catherine Hapka
• The Pooh Sticks Game / Thea Feldman
• Don't Be Roo-diculous! / Thea Feldman
• Friendly Bothers / Catherine Hapka
• Better Than Honey? / Catherine Hapka
• Forget Me Knot / Thea Feldman
• Owl's Reading Lessons / Catherine Hapka
• Under-the-Weather Friends / Thea Feldman
• A Bounciful Friendship / Thea Feldman
• Owl Be Seeing You / Thea Feldman
• Piglet the Brave / Catherine Hapka
• Roo's Day Away / Catherine Hapka

(My Pooh Project: I love Winnie the Pooh, and so does my wife. Having a daughter gave us a chance to indoctrinate her into the cult by buying and reading her every Pooh book we came across. How many is that? I’m going to count them this year by reading and reviewing one every day and seeing which month I finally run out. Track my progress here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/23954351-rod-brown?ref=nav_mybooks&she... )… (altro)