Every Child Needs a Winnie the Pooh Baby Book!

It seems that everyone grew up with a Winnie the Pooh Baby Book. It's little surprise, then, that these timeless classics are still among the biggest selling gifts for expectant moms the world over. There is just something about Winnie and his pals that is so soothing and appealing to newborns, and the beautiful pictures really capture baby's budding imagination.

Oddly enough, the first Winnie the Pooh book barely featured the famous honey bear at all. In 1925, the London Evening News ran a story called "The Wrong Sort of Bees," which introduced the character named Winnie the Pooh.  The author of this short story was A.A. Milne, and amazingly, Milne actually named Winnie after a real live bear!

In London during the early 1900s, there was an extremely popular black Canadian bear called "Winnipeg" at the London Zoo. Of course, the children of London began affectionately referring to "Winnipeg" as simply "Winnie," and for more than 20 years, "Winnie" remained one of the zoos star attractions.

The first actual "Winnie the Pooh" book was published in 1926, and contained many of the famous characters we know and love today. Since that time, hundreds of millions of children around the world have enjoyed the carefree "Pooh" and his quirky band of friends.

Today, Winnie the Pooh baby books are more popular than ever, especially as gifts for new or expectant mothers. The beautiful colors, drawings and simple but elegant language all appeal to babies, but mothers tend to like them too (unlike some other baby stories--a large dinosaur comes to mind).

The "Pooh" stories also go great in gift baskets, for baby showers, or as presents for the new-mom and baby. Because of their popularity, you can find these at many locations, including booksellers, maternity shops and online baby specialists. The following is an overview of three of the best locations online to buy Winnie the Pooh baby books and gift baskets:

1. Rosemarycompany.com:  Rosemarycompany specializes in custom bridal and maternity gifts. The company has one of the largest selections of Winnie the Pooh baby books, keepsakes, cards and gift baskets online. Prices are very reasonable, and they offer several shipping/delivery options. If you're shopping for a baby shower gift, Rosemarycompany is an ideal choice.

2. Amazon.com: Amazon has become the "go to" online shop for just about anything these days; but they are not just about cheap books. Amazon has a great selection of unique Winnie the Pooh gifts and shower presents. Of course, being Amazon, they also have a huge selection the "Pooh" books available. Amazon even offers free shipping on many items, making your gift budget stretch even further.

3. Book-buddies.com: Book-buddies has several beautiful Winnie the Pooh baby book gift baskets, and some of the most reasonable prices online. The site also carries DVD's, costumes and reading activity kits. The only downside of bookbuddies is the very basic functionality of their website when compared to the more established companies listed above.

So there you have three locations to find a great gift for the expectant mom (or yourself). Winnie the Pooh baby books and gift baskets make beautiful and unique shower gifts that the mom-to-be (and baby) will enjoy for a long time.