Kanga
Encyclopedia
- This article is on the fictional character in the books and cartoons about Winnie-the-PoohWinnie-the-PoohWinnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh , and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner...
. For other meanings, see Kanga (disambiguation)Kanga (disambiguation)- Places :* Kanga, Pakistan a village in the Larkana District population around 2,500.* Kanga, DRCongo a town* Kanga, Tanzania in Chunya District-Other :* Kangaroo, the Australian animal and icon....
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in A. A. Milne's
A. A. Milne
Alan Alexander Milne was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems. Milne was a noted writer, primarily as a playwright, before the huge success of Pooh overshadowed all his previous work.-Biography:A. A...
series of book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s about Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh , and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner...
. A female kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
, Kanga is Roo's
Roo
Roo is a fictional character created in 1926 by A. A. Milne and first featured in the book Winnie-the-Pooh. He is a young kangaroo and his mother is Kanga...
mother and a good friend to Winnie-the-Pooh and all the other residents of the Hundred Acre Wood
Hundred Acre Wood
The Hundred Acre Wood is the fictional land inhabited by Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends in the Winnie-the-Pooh series of children's stories by author A. A. Milne...
. She lives with Roo in a house near the Sandy Pit in the northwestern part of the Forest. Tigger
Tigger
Tigger is a fictional tiger-like character originally introduced in A. A. Milne's book The House at Pooh Corner. Like other Pooh characters, Tigger is based on one of Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed animals...
later comes to live with them.
Kanga and her son, Roo, come to the Forest "in the usual way" in Chapter VII of Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh , and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner...
. She also appears in Chapter VIII, is mentioned in Chapter IX, and appears again in Chapter X of that book. In The House at Pooh Corner
The House at Pooh Corner
The House at Pooh Corner is the second volume of stories about Winnie-the-Pooh, written by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. It is notable for the introduction of the character Tigger, who went on to become a prominent figure in the Disney Winnie the Pooh franchise.- Plot :The title...
, Kanga appears in chapters II, IV, VII, IX, and X, and is mentioned in a few others. She is the only female character to appear in the books.
Like most of the characters in Winnie-the Pooh, Kanga was based on a stuffed toy that belonged to Christopher Robin Milne
Christopher Robin Milne
Christopher Robin Milne was the son of author A. A. Milne. As a child, he was the basis of the character Christopher Robin in his father's Winnie-the-Pooh stories and in two books of poems.-Early life:...
. Ernest H. Shepard's illustrations show Kanga with dark brown fur on her back and lighter fur on her front. Like all female kangaroos, she has a pouch (usually called her "pocket" in the books). Unlike an actual animal, however, Kanga's pocket apparently closes with a button. (The text mentions her "buttoning" and "unbuttoning" her pocket on a few occasions, although no buttons are visible in the illustrations.) Her pocket is apparently large enough for Very Small Animals like Roo (and in one instance, Piglet
Piglet (Winnie the Pooh)
Piglet is a fictional character from A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books. Piglet is Winnie-the-Pooh's closest friend amongst all the toys/animals featured in the stories...
) to ride in.
Kanga is a kind-hearted, motherly character. She takes great care of Roo, and is constantly concerned with his well-being, whether that means trying to keep him out of trouble or giving him his "strengthening medicine" (which is later revealed to be extract of malt) after meals. As Piglet describes her, Kanga "isn't Clever", but is so concerned about Roo that she will always be able to take care of him, automatically knowing "a Good Thing to Do" without thinking about it. She is not without a sense of humor, however, as shown when she not only catches onto the joke that the others are trying to play on her by hiding Roo but then turns the joke back on Piglet by pretending she believes he is Roo.
Kanga also comes the nearest of all the Pooh characters to serving the role of a parent to the other characters. She will offer motherly advice - and food - to anyone who asks her. In particular, she immediately "adopts" Tigger
Tigger
Tigger is a fictional tiger-like character originally introduced in A. A. Milne's book The House at Pooh Corner. Like other Pooh characters, Tigger is based on one of Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed animals...
when he comes to the Forest, welcoming him into her home, attempting to find him food he likes, and eventually allowing him to live with her and Roo. In the chapters after Tigger moves in, Kanga treats him much the way she does her own son, with kind words, gentle discipline, and even his own version of "strengthening medicine".
Kanga likes to keep things clean, and when she feels especially motherly, she likes to count and organize things. She can sign her own name, as she does on the "rissolution" that the animals give to Christopher Robin
Christopher Robin
Christopher Robin is a character created by A. A. Milne, appearing in his popular books of poetry and stories about Winnie-the-Pooh. He has subsequently appeared in Disney cartoons....
, but there is no other indication of whether she can read or write.
Disney cartoon version
Kanga also appears in the Disney cartoon versions of the Winnie the Pooh stories, retaining her sense of motherly warmth and kindness towards not only Roo, but all the characters in the Hundred-Acre-Woods. Kanga was originally voiced by Barbara LuddyBarbara Luddy
Barbara Luddy was an American actress from Great Falls, Montana. Her film career began with silent pictures in the 1920s, during which time she was also a prolific radio performer....
, Julie McWhirter
Julie McWhirter
Julie McWhirter is an Indiana-born voice actress and impressionist best known for her work as Kanga in "Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore". Her voice acting also includes numerous Hanna-Barbera cartoons, such as Jeannie, Jabberjaw, Casper and the Angels, Drak Pack and The Smurfs...
, and by Patricia Parris
Patricia Parris
Patricia Parris is an American voice actress, who provided the voice of Daisy Duck in Mickey's Christmas Carol and Shelly on Jabberjaw ....
from 1989-1991 and is currently being voiced by Kath Soucie
Kath Soucie
Katherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
, who also works for Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
and Classic Media
Classic Media
Classic Media, LLC, is an American production company and distributor of family programming. It was founded in 2000 by former Marvel Entertainment CEO Eric Ellenbogen and former Broadway Video executive John Engelman in hopes of acquiring mismanaged classic properties and giving exposure to...
(although in Kingdom Hearts 2 she is played by Tress MacNeille
Tress MacNeille
Tress MacNeille is an American voice actress best known for providing various voices on the animated series The Simpsons, Futurama, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Disney's House of Mouse, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Rugrats, All Grown Up!, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and Dave the...
). In the 2011 film, she is voiced by songwriter Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Her Japanese voice is done by Tomie Kataoka.
Kanga and Roo appeared in the television show (that runs on Playhouse Disney
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
) as a new neighbor that moved from Australia and settled down in the woods. The voice used for the part does not have an Australian accent.
Kanga was featured as one of the guests in House of Mouse and Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse
Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse
Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse is the first direct-to-video movie spin off from the Disney Channel animated television series Disney's House of Mouse.-Plot:...
.