Something to celebrate
He might be a “bear of very little brain,” but Winnie the Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Woods have delighted children and adults alike for nearly a century.
The books by English author A.A. Milne have spawned cartoons, plays and movies, including the live action “Christopher Robin,” released in 2018.
A lover of his forest friends (and honey), the silly old bear first appeared in print in 1926 in the book “Winnie-the-Pooh.” It was followed, in 1928, by “The House at Pooh Corner.”
In the 1960s, Walt Disney Productions licensed certain film and other rights of the Pooh stories, and adapted to them (sans hyphens) into several “Winnie the Pooh” features, cementing Pooh’s popularity around the world.
In 2018, the original hand-drawn map of Winnie the Pooh’s Hundred Acre Woods sold for 430,000 pounds ($571,000) at a London auction.
It was a record price for a book illustration.
The 1926 sketch, done by E.H. Shepard, featured characters (Pooh and Christopher Robin included) and landmarks like Pooh’s Bee Tree and Eeyore’s Gloomy Place.
The last time that map changed hands was in 1970, when its value was quite a bit less: 1,700 pounds.
Flanked by Eeyore (a sarcastic, mopey donkey), Piglet (a smart, timid little guy) and Tigger (a gregarious bouncy tiger), along with many others, Pooh’s adventures through his home in the Hundred Acre Wood have spanned generations who love his unwitting wisdom.
Pooh bear, as he is also known, has offered quite a few quotable nuggets over the years, reminding readers “A hug is always the right size,” or “Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.”
Celebrate all of it on Monday, Jan. 18, the day designated at National Winnie the Pooh Day.
Other days to celebrate include:
n Jan 14: National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day, National Dress Up Your Pet Day, International Kite Day
n Jan. 15: National Hat Day, National Bagel Day
n Jan. 16: National Use Your Gift Card Day, National Nothing Day, Appreciate a Dragon Day
n Jan. 17: National Bootlegger’s Day, National Hot Buttered Rum Day
n Jan. 18: National Winnie the Pooh Day, National Thesaurus Day, National Peking Duck Day
n Jan. 19: National Popcorn Day, World Quark Day, Brew a Potion Day
n Jan. 20: National Disc Jockey Day, National Cheese Lovers Day, National Buttercrunch Day