I don't know that I ever actually read any of the Paddington books as a kid. I do remember watching a bit of the tv series. I was pleasantly surprised. This was really good and I imagine as a kid I would've loved it. Paddington is hilarious. I especially liked the theatre chapter - particularly when he freaks out at the idea of paying twenty pence to rent the glasses. And the magic tricks. Mr Curry's watch had me in hysterics. Great story. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. ( )

First sentence: Mr and Mrs Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform.

Premise/plot: Paddington Bear has travelled all the way from darkest Peru (with the blessing of his Aunt Lucy) as a stowaway. This adorable, homeless bear is adopted by the Brown family. Judy and Jonathan are the Brown children; Mrs Bird is the housekeeper. Adventures and misadventures are had: all the time, everywhere he goes. I would say he’s less mischievous than Curious George.

My thoughts: This one was first published in 1958. It easily could have been a part of my mom’s childhood—and its sequels. Mom recently rediscovered this first book at the library. She said I HAD to read it because it’s awesome. She regretted never reading it aloud to us when we were kids. It is a great book. Perhaps not quite as quotable as Pooh, but still quotable. I will definitely be recommending this one.

“It wasn’t so much that he didn’t like baths; he really didn’t mind being covered with jam and cream. It seemed a pity to wash it all off quite so soon.” (27)

“After a few seconds he decided quite definitely that he preferred riding on an escalator. They were nice and smooth. But lifts! To start with, it was full of people carrying parcels and all so busy they had not time to notice a small bear—one woman even rested her shopping bag on his head and seemed quite surprised when Paddington pushed it off. Then suddenly half of him seemed to fall away while the other half stayed where it was. Just as he had got used to that feeling the second half of him caught up again and even overtook the first half before the doors opened. It did that four times on the way down and Paddington was glad when the man in charge said it was the ground floor and Mrs Brown led him out.” (67-8) ( )

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 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. ( )

Reading level: grade 3-7
Awards: Michael Bond won awards for his work

A cute book about a couple who befriend a bear from Peru at Paddington Station in London. (One must suspend your disbelief for this to work.) Each chapter is a short story involving some sort of crisis involving Paddington, eventually culminating in a happy resolution. Children might find the "formula" comforting but I was hoping for a little more sophistication and variety. I liked the postscript at the end, with Mr. Bond explaining how he came up with the idea for the book.

Rating: 3 stars
Original Publication Date: 1958 ( )