Winnie-the-Pooh Returns After More Than 80 Years in Dutton Children's Books'Return to the Hundred Acre Wood
(View entire post here)
"Pooh and Piglet, Christopher Robin and Eeyore were last seen in the Forest - oh, can it really be eighty years ago? But dreams have a logic of their own and it is as if the eighty years have passed in a day."
So begins the introduction to Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, the first authorized sequel to A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh and The House At Pooh Corner. Dutton Children's Books will publish the embargoed title on Monday, October 5th, when it will land in stores nationwide. Written by David Benedictus and illustrated by Mark Burgess, this is the first newWinnie-the-Pooh book in more than 80 years. Penguin Audio will publish an audio version read by Grammy Award-winner Jim Dale.
Penguin is rolling out an extensive six-figure marketing campaign leading up to the publication. On September 3rd, bookstores across the country opened "Pooh-tiques", dedicated spaces for Winnie-the-Pooh and friends. With these "Pooh-tiques", booksellers are inviting readers to rediscover Winnie-the-Pooh's beloved adventures and return to the Hundred Acre Wood.
Independent bookstores across the country are hosting Pooh tea parties for fans young and old. Tea parties include honey flavored food, count-the-honey-candies-in-the-jar contests, story times with favorite Pooh books, bring-your-favorite-bear-from-home story times, and activities such as "pin the tale on Eeyore."
Upcoming national media coverage for Return to the Hundred Acre Wood includes segments on the Today show and NPR's Morning Edition, features in USA Today, Parents, Parenting, Ebony, The Associated Press and Salon.com, as well as national and regional television and radio interviews with author David Benedictus. Jim Dale will appear at one public event in New York City at the Barnes and Noble at Lincoln Square for a special reading on Monday, October 5th at 5pm. Fans can see a video of Jim Dale reading the introduction at penguin.com/pooh, a new site which also includes descriptions of Pooh and all his friends, and a countdown widget to the new book.
Dutton officially introduced Christopher Robin and his "silly old bear" to the US in 1926 with the publication of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne and illustrated by E.H. Shepard. Dutton published The House at Pooh Corner, which introduced Tigger, in 1928.
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA is currently celebrating Pooh with an exhibit of original Winnie-the-Pooh illustrations by E.H. Shepard, on display from May-November of 2009. This is the first time these pieces have been exhibited together in the United States.
Listen to award-winning narrator Jim Dale reading the Exposition to Return to the Hundred Acre Wood on our feature page.
Be sure to test your Pooh knowledge by taking the "Who Wants to Be a Milne-ionaire?" quiz featured as a separate item in Spotlight below.
Penguin Books, books, bestsellers
