A.A. Milne wrote only three Winnie the Pooh books, all between 1926 and 1928, and illustrated by Punch illustrator Ernest Shephard.  They were loosely based on Milne's son Christopher Robin and his stuffed toys.

Milne himself never wanted a sequel.  He was concerned for his son.  "I feel that the legal Christopher Robin has already had more publicity that I want for him . . . I do not want C.R. Milne ever to wish that his names were Charles Robert."  He would wish exactly that - he became one of the most famous children in the world, up to his death in 1996.

David Benedictus wrote two Pooh short stories of his own in the mid-1990s and submitted them to the Trustees of the Milne Estate.  They were unable to publish them because Walt Disney owned all the rights.  Ten years later, Benedictus was contacted by the Trustees who explained that the sequel rights had reverted to them.  "Return to the Hundred Acre Wood" was published on October 5th, 2009.

David Benedictus says he tried to enter Milne's mind to find his voice.  Illustrator Mark Burgess recreated the look of the original art work.

Benedictus was determined there should be one new character, but his suggestion of a grass snake was not well received by the Trustees.  Instead, the new character became Lottie the Otter - "a bit of a snob . . . a bit catty, too."

The reviews of the book are good in regard to how close it is to the originals.  Some reviewers have said it has very little new content, but if you're a Winnie the Pooh fan, you don't care!

I can't wait till my granddaugter's attention span is long enough for me to read Winnie the Pooh to her - ALL of the Winnie the Pooh books.