After 90 years, Winnie-the-Pooh gets a new friend

Winnie-the-Pooh's new friend is a penguin, seen here in an illustration from The Best Bear in All the World. Illustration: Mark Burgess/Egmont Publishing

October 14, 2016 will mark the 90th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh, the gentle children's stories written by A.A. Milne based on his son and his cast of stuffed animals. To celebrate this legacy, four new illustrated tales have been published, and a new character – with a real-life reference – has been introduced.

Christopher Robin Milne and his boyhood stuffed bear were fictionalised in the series penned by his father. In addition to boy and bear, further characters from the stories had real-life toy counterparts: Eeyore (a Christmas present), Piglet (a gift from an acquaintance) Kanga, Roo, and Tigger (gift purchases from Harrods).