by Steve Laube

On this day in 1926 the book Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne was published by Methuen in London. Our household has celebrated this day each year with my wife baking Winnie-the-Pooh shaped cookies. (Yes, it is a scary thing to be a man in a house of Winnie the Pooh celebrations…)

Some say the real birthday is the day Christopher Robin Milne was given his stuffed bear (August 21, 1921). But since I’m in the publishing business I prefer to mark the date with the publication of the book that started it all. And if you collect rare books I found this listing where Ernest Shepherd’s own copy (he was the illustrator) can be purchased for only $95,000.

So, “Happy 86th birthday!” to Winnie the Pooh.  (Go bake some Winnie-the- Pooh cookies and celebrate.)