A Bear Called Paddington

Whether you’re a child or an adult, this is one to try if you crave coziness.

Paddington’s an adorable little bear who loves marmalade and mostly abides by his own moral code (minus dodging the truth here and there to cover up some of his unfortunate mishaps). Especially endearing to me were his moments reminiscent of my dog, Paddington’s tendency to tumble into trouble at every turn and make an absolute mess of himself when he eats. I also liked that every now and then Paddington spares a poignant thought for his Aunt living in a retirement home for bears.

If you’d rather not breeze through this in one sitting (which is totally doable), the format here lends itself well to reading a chapter or two a day or before bedtime. The show more chapters, though connected, unfold like a series of sweet, charming short stories, with a variety of everyday adventures like buying a new coat, a trip to the theater, celebrating a birthday, etc., as Paddington, new to London (from Darkest Peru) is immediately taken in by the patient and kind Brown family who love him like one of their own.

While there’s minimal exploration of supporting characters, if whimsy such as a bear doing the family’s grocery shopping appeals to you, you’ll find much to enjoy here, Paddington has stood the test of time for a reason. show less

After his Aunt Lucy moves into a home for retired bears, a small and rather sticky bear emigrates from darkest Peru with only a suitcase full of marmalade. The Brown family discover him at Paddington station and adopt him, and the bear (now rejoicing in the impressive name of Paddington) has lots of adventures across London which generally involve leaving sticky paw-prints all over the place, knocking things over, getting lost, and getting into trouble.

It's not hard to see why this is a classic, beloved of generations of children. I spotted this book on sale for a minuscule sum while I was doing some Christmas shopping, and (being without children to buy it for) decided to indulge myself and revisit my childhood. I was very fond of my show more stuffed Paddington Bear - complete with blue duffel coat, red wellies and floppy hat - when I was about 4, and re-reading the stories was a nostalgic treat. show less

Very cute; I can see why I loved these books as a kid. It's quite a rare (modern) kids' book that is essentially plotless, though; you could exchange the second half of this book with any other Paddington installment and no one would be any the wiser. The little bear's adventures are incredibly episodic! He has a child's logic, though, which is very engaging, and it's probably one of the rare examples of a proper book series built around the familiarity of "hooks," like a sitcom (Paddington's literal approach and love of marmalade, visits to Mr. Gruber, Mr. Curry's stinginess, etc.) - the sort of thing you often encounter in early children's storybooks, but rarely otherwise. That explains both the appeal, I think, as well as the age show more range of the readership; there's few books (the Winnie-the-Pooh books, perhaps) that are perfectly pitched at 6-year-olds: no longer the realm of picture books, but not yet the complicated realm of the children's novel. "Paddington" still holds up, even if the age of one-and-sixpence pocket money is now long gone. show less

I listened to this on Hoopla for two reasons: First, it is narrated by Stephen Fry, so you know that part will be great. Second, my daughter is going to school in London now and I have been to Paddington Station on several occasions, so this quick introduction to a character I have heard about but never read seemed worthwhile. And it was. Paddington is nothing like his chief bear competition, Winnie the Pooh, nor is he like the Berenstain Bears. Paddington is from Darkest Peru, but his aunt, who is now in a home for retired bears in Lima, has taught him English and recommended he emigrate. There is no word about what happened to Paddington's parents. I suspect either Spanish Conquistadors or the Shining Path had something to do with show more their disappearance. In any case, Paddington is quickly adopted by the Brown family--a perfect family with a mother, a father, a son, a daughter, and a housekeeper. He is well clothed and fed (especially marmalade) and treated like one of the children. Modern readers may be aghast at how much freedom the Browns give their kids at places like the seaside, where Paddington has one of his adventures, which always seem to turn out okay. There's nothing as quirky or endearing here as Winnie the Pooh and his friends, however. Paddington is a bear, but no one takes too much notice of it, which attests to the diversity of London, even in the 1950s when this was first published. Paddington, the Browns, and Stephen Fry are pleasant companions, so you and your children may enjoy them. There are other volumes that follow, with Fry again providing the narration. Nice for a car trip with small children or if you are hoarse from reading to them yourself. show less

Oh, wow! I did not expect such cheek (Mr. Brown struggling to stifle laughter at the misfortune of their foul neighbor) or such a fun process to how Paddington always ends up in a pickle. There's such a unique warmth and quirk to these stories. It's also quite funny! The adults are all so entertaining with their little quips, especially Mrs. Bird's prickliness. I honestly had no idea the original Paddington story wasn't a picture book (there are some drawings, though).

Um urso chamado Paddington é o primeiro livro de Michael Bond sobre as aventuras de Paddington, um ícone da cultura inglesa (ou peruana? rá!) e uma delicinha de personagem infantojuvenil que foi assunto para 29 livros no período de 60 anos (Bond faleceu aos 91 anos em 2017).
Antes da já clássica incursão do cinema live action que está completando 10 anos em 2024, houve duas séries animadas sobre Paddington, uma inglesa dos anos 70 e uma da Hanna e Barbera dos anos 80, depois dos dois primeiros filmes voltaram a fazer uma terceira animação nos 2010 com o Ben Winshaw reprisando a dublagem dos filmes.
Não prometo ler todos os 29 livros do Paddington, mas aos poucos vou ler um ou outro sim, afinal, nada mais proveitoso do que show more passar uma tarde chuvosa com nosso ursinho favorito, tomando chá e comendo torrada com geleia de laranja. show less

This is a lovely, charming story about a bear from Darkest Peru (TM) who lands at Paddington Station and is taken home by an average, middle-class London family. It's easy to see why Paddington is beloved the world around. He is sweet, curious, kind, and has a thousand-yard stare when people misbehave. And he loves marmalade. Baths, not so much.

I never read these books as a child, but I watched the TV series (which is lovely) and I've been meaning to watch the films. In an afterword to the edition I read, Michael Bond writes that he didn't set out to write a children's book, and it shows. Obviously it's a wonderful book for children, but there's plenty in it for adults to appreciate.

That said, it seems pretty clear that the current show more editions have been updated since the original 1958 version. Paddington gets a pound a week for his allowance and his tube ticket cost 80p, which is interesting giving decimal coinage didn't arrive until 1971. I want to read the original and see what else has changed. It's a good example, though, of how a book can be updated and still retain a strong sense of its era. show less