Winnie-the-Pooh turns 90

Reuters: A brand new Winnie-the-Pooh adventure has been released to celebrate 90 years of the fictional bear and of the Queen of England.

“Winnie-the-Pooh and the Royal Birthday” sees the much-loved bear travel to Buckingham Palace with Christopher Robin and friends, Piglet and Eeyore.

Written by Jane Riordan, the story is illustrated by Mark Burgess in the classic style of E. H. Shepard.

British Actor Jim Broadbent narrates the audio story.

On the enduring appeal of Pooh bear, Broadbent said: “There’s such a wit and a style to the stories that adults enjoy reading them to children, so I think that’s what sustains it, probably, and the children love them and they love them and want to pass them on to the next generation and they carry on.”

The Queen officially celebrates her 90th birthday on 11 June.

Creative Director of Egmont Publishing, Nicole Pearson, explained the royal connection with Winnie-the-Pooh.

“The Queen and Winnie-the-Pooh are connected because not only do they share a birthday, but in 1926, a few months after the birth of the young princess, the baby princess Elizabeth, Milne dedicated ‘Teddy Bear’ and other songs from ‘When We Were Very Young’ to Princess Elizabeth. We also know that the Duke and Duchess of York were presented with a tea service that featured images of Christopher Robin and we’re told that the Queen is a big fan of Winnie-the-Pooh.”

The first Winnie-the-Pooh book, written by A.A. Milne, was published in October 1926.