QUICK TAKES - Oct. 2, 2009

Eight decades after A.A. Milne stopped writing his Winnie-the-Pooh tales, the first authorized sequel is hitting book stores Monday. Called “Return to the Hundred Acre Wood,” the book by author David Benedictus picks up where Milne’s “The House at Pooh Corner,” first published in 1928, left off.

In the illustrations by Mark Burgess, Christopher Robin seems a little older, but Piglet returns to his traditional green outfit, and the bear hasn’t dropped any weight. But there is a new addition to the Wood’s residents, according to advance publicity: Lottie the Otter, a stickler for etiquette.

Benedictus said it seemed right that a new friend arrive for new adventures. He said he was careful to keep the spirit, tone and language faithful to Milne -- though he didn’t feel any particular pressure.

“If I did it badly, it wouldn’t be like I’d destroyed the originals,” said Benedictus, a novelist and playwright who was responsible for the audio adaptations of several Pooh stories.