| Winnie-the-Pooh | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Edward Bear |
|
First Appearance |
When We Were Very Young (1924) |
|
Original Publisher |
Methuen (London) / Dutton (US) |
|
Created by |
A. A. Milne & E. H. Shepard |
Origin[]
The real stuffed toys owned by Christopher Robin Milne and featured in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. They have been on display in the New York Public Library in New York City since 1987.
Winnie-the-Pooh (also known as Edward Bear, Pooh Bear or simply Pooh) is a fictional anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. The character is based on a stuffed toy that Milne had bought for his son Christopher Robin Milne in Harrods department store who was originally called Edward Bear, but he was later renamed after an American black bear at London Zoo called Winnie who got her name from the fact that her owner had come from Winnipeg, Canada. Pooh lived in the Hundred Acre Wood along side his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, Owl, and Tigger.
In the Milne books, Pooh is naïve and slow-witted, but he is also friendly, thoughtful, and steadfast. Although he and his friends agree that he is "a bear of very little brain", Pooh is occasionally acknowledged to have a clever idea, usually driven by common sense. These include riding in Christopher Robin's umbrella to rescue Piglet from a flood, discovering "the North Pole" by picking it up to help fish Roo out of the river, inventing the game of Poohsticks, and getting Eeyore out of the river by dropping a large rock on one side of him to wash him towards the bank.
Pooh was also very fond of food, particularly honey (which he spells "hunny"), but also condensed milk and other items. When he visits friends, his desire to be offered a snack is in conflict with the impoliteness of asking too directly.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- When We Were Very Young (1924)
- Winnie-the-Pooh (1926)
- Now We Are Six (1927)
- The House at Pooh Corner (1928)