Winnie-the-Pooh (commonly shortened to "Pooh Bear" and once referred to as "Edward Bear") is a fictional bear created by A. A. Milne. The character first appeared in the children's books Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Milne also included several poems about Winnie-the-Pooh in the children’s poetry books When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six. All 4 volumes were illustrated by E. H. Shepard. The Walt Disney Company removed the hyphens from the name and adapted the Pooh stories into a series of Winnie the Pooh featurettes that became one of the company's most successful franchises worldwide.