A.A. Milne was the author of dozens of works before his inconceivably popular collections of stories about a chubby bear who loves honey.

The Bear of Very Little Brain and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood have delighted generations of readers since Winnie-the-Pooh was first published in 1926.

Back by popular demand, the four full-color gift editions of the original Pooh classics are available again. These elegant books, larger in format than the classic editions, include all of Ernest H. Shepard’s illustrations, each meticulously hand-painted in delicate watercolors.

Here are the two great storybooks chronicling the adventures of Christopher Robin and all the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood, as well as the two charming volumes of poems. Bright in color and true in spirit, these are books for giving–To Pooh fans of all ages.

Young Adult Mag: Winnie The Pooh is a character that is recognizable all over the world.  Why do you think Winnie the Pooh is such a powerful, enduring character?

A.A. Milne: I don’t want to talk about Winnie The Pooh.

YA: Excuse me?

AM: You heard me.

YA: Beg your pardon, but the audience really expects it.

AM: That’s what everyone wants to know about.  I wrote other works, too.  I wrote whatever kind of works I wanted to.  Plays, short stories, novels.  I don’t know why everyone gets so hung up on that bear.

YA: Try to talk about it, if you don’t mind.  Could you answer the original question?

AM: Very well.  I suppose Pooh Bear has been so successful because everyone has childhood toys that they feel attached to and went on imaginary, magical journeys with, and I think that Pooh and his friends feel very personal to my readers in that way.

YA:  What do you think about Disney’s interpretations of your work?

AM: I liked a few of their adaptations.  Their earlier works much more closely resembled what I envisioned.  The artwork was similar to that of my illustrator, Ernest H. Shepard.

YA: What about all of the Winnie The Pooh merchandise?  How do you feel about Pooh stuffed animals, figurines, etc?

AM: It’s really surreal, since I based the character on one of my son’s, the real Christopher Robin, actual toy bears.  The character started as a real bear, went into my imagination, went onto the page, then back into tangible form again.  It’s genuinely remarkable.