Winnie-the-Pooh storybook character competition

Our Winnie-the-Pooh competition encouraged children to think about how the much-loved stories of Pooh and his friends are brought to life by wonderful illustrations that help readers to step inside the story and connect with the characters. We then asked them to create a completely original, fictional character of their own and tell us a bit about them.

The competition was open to children aged between two and twelve years old. We received hundreds of incredible characters and some fantastic stories. The winner and two runners-up, selected by Emma Laws and Annemarie Bilclough, co-curators of the Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic exhibition, have had their creations framed and put on display in the Museum. The winner received a £100 voucher from Cass Art and an exhibition book and they all won family entry to the exhibition.

Thank you to all who entered the competition and congratulations to our winner, the runners-up and the commended entries.

OVERALL WINNER

'Bombear' by Lois Scudder, aged 8

Bombear is a cloud creature. She watches the people below her, wondering what life is like down there…

It's a wonderful creature, drawn really imaginatively, with texture and splatter and there is an intriguing start to a story.

Judges comment
'Bombear' by Lois Scudder

RUNNERS-UP

'Bob Stockings' by Jessica Mauer, aged 12

"Ello!

My name is Bob Stockings and I am a sockling. I have a wife and two beautiful little children. I have decided to go public today to raise awareness of socklings around the world.

Being so small we are still a little shy and still frightened of humans, that is why we are almost never seen. We live under every human's bed where there is a lost sock. Have you ever taken your sock of and a bit of fluff fell to the ground? Well, that is when a sockling is born!

Later we find the single sock from which we were born, bring it under the bed and make it home! Socklings unite to help each other no mater what fabric we are made of or where we come from, you have to have lots of small beings to make a difference in the world. We also know that it is important to help humans too, so we return things that humans have lost, you know? When you thought you lost something and it magically resurfaces a month later, that is our speciality.

Life isn't always rosy for us, sometimes parents find the lost socks we call home and take them away, so if you get the chance please leave a sock or two under your beds. Also if you are hoovering and there is a bit of stubborn fluff don't hover it up! That's a sockling, just move on and let he/she be, we don't mean any harm. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you will think of us while having a tidy up!

Love and fluffs from Bob".

Great thought gone into the story and it is an accomplished drawing.

Judges comment
'Bob Stockings' by Jessica Mauer

'Hazelnut' by Camilla Grindle, aged 6

Hazelnut is a thoughtful, forgetful, shy red squirrel. He lives in Treewood Corner with his friend Ruby Robin. In this picture Hazelnut is looking for his acorns as he can't remember where he put them. Ruby is helping Hazelnut by asking helpful questions. Together they find the acorns.

I love the boldness of the technique and it's very accomplished.

Judges comment
'Hazelnut' by Camilla Grindle

COMMENDED

Commended (left to right): 'Bedward' by Aurelia Till, aged 4 | 'Miss Bea' by Béa Langley, aged 3 | 'Fontaine and Daffodil' by Maisy Witcombe, aged 9
Commended (left to right): 'Rook' by Arjun Bhatla, aged 8 | 'The galactic Adventures of Cow' by Mikey Buscall, aged 11 | 'Princess of the Forest Realms' by Ethan Boyce, aged 6

Discover more about the Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic exhibition.