BOSTON — When people care too much, Winnie-the-Pooh argues it’s just love.

That bit of time-tested wisdom is as relevant today as it was nearly a century ago, when the beloved teddy bear in A.A. Milne’s children’s books series first appeared in print.

Now Pooh and pal Christopher Robin are starring in “Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic,” a new exhibition opening Saturday at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. It runs through Jan. 6.

“The exhibit addresses the fact that Winnie-the-Pooh is a global phenomenon, beloved by many if not by all,” said Meghan Melvin, who curated the show. “Surprisingly, many people are not that familiar with the origin of the story.”

While the original Winnie-the-Pooh books were published nearly a century ago, the narrative of the befuddled bear and his adventures with Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Rabbit remains popular with families. This year, Disney released the movie “Christopher Robin,” in which Ewan McGregor, who plays a man living in London, receives a surprise visit from his childhood teddy bear.

“At their core, these books are about friendship and adventure, and those things never get old,” said Lindsay Shaw, children’s librarian at the Providence Athenaeum in Rhode Island. “Even at a time when children are bombarded by screens, they can relate to these basic ideas.”

The first of the four books, “When We Were Very Young,” was published in 1924; the last, “House at Pooh Corner,” came out in 1928.

– From news service reports


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