Paddington [board book]

The picture book version of this classic tale will delight children, as they learn about the lost bear from Peru, adopted by the Brown family. Paddington manages to make his usual messes, but somehow always manages to come out okay.

I loved my copy of Paddington literally to pieces. Pieces that I insisted my mother glue, paste, tape-whatever it took- back into one book over and over again. I had a strange habit of sleeping with my books as a child. I don't mean taking one or two to bed and falling asleep while looking at them either. My mother says she would find me literally (no pun intended) sleeping on a bed of 10 or 12 books. She would gingerly pull them out from under me as I slept. Well, Paddington was a regular bedfellow and a good companion. I never grew tired of the story of a bear who was real. And in reading all of the series over again I found that this is by and far still my favorite friend to take to bed with me;)

i really enjoyed this book! Paddington charms his way into your heart just like he charmed his way into the Brown family's hearts. One of my favorite parts of the story was when Paddington went to the opera for the first time and thought the acting was real so he went back stage to tell the person who played the father in the play that he should not throw his daughter out! The author did such a good job portraying this angry bear standing up for what he thought was right. I also really enjoyed the part of the book where he is putting on a magic show for the family and he "accidentally" breaks the grumpy old neighbors watch. Everything Paddington gets himself into is because of his curious nature and independent ways. I love how the show more Brown family was patient with Paddington and found the humor in everything that he did. One of my favorite characters was Ms. Byrd. I liked her character because even though she was thought to be strict, she always had a soft spot for Paddington. My two boys and I listened to this story at night on CD. When we were finished listening to it, they wanted me to read it to them! I think my first graders will enjoy hearing this story next year. show less

Paddington is the classic story of a bear who is found in Paddington Station by a family named the Browns; the Browns take in the bear and he becomes part of the family. Along the way, readers see the clumsiness of Paddington and learn his back story—he is from the Darkest Peru. The message of the story is that the stranger you see today could be family tomorrow if you take the time to care. This book is ideal for 1st-2nd grade readers. I enjoyed the book very much. I have always admired the entertaining nature of Paddington the bear. The reasons I find the book to be such a good read is humorous story line, the imaginative creativity that embodies Paddington himself, and the artfully crafter illustrations. The plot of the story is show more one that will without a doubt capture the attention of readers. The overall plot is one that portrays a very endearing message of friendship and family, but the small mishaps that take place between the moments that support the overall arching message are rather spectacular. For instance, when Paddington is first welcomed home by the Browns he is taken to a café to eat; while at the café, Paddington makes a mess of himself and the café because he accidentally slips on a strawberry tart. In that moment, the audience is offered a tab bit of comic relief. Also, the character Paddington himself is a well-developed character with a lot of personality. This is another aspect that helps to keep the attention of the reader. In essence he is a talking bear from the “Darkest Peru” whom enjoys marmalade and innocently gets himself into mishaps such as making a mess in a café, upsetting the taxi driver, flooding the bathroom, and falling asleep in mid conversation. The author, in a just a few pages of a children’s book, is able to bring to life a bear named Paddington that will surely make readers fall in love with him. Lastly, the illustrations in the book are fantastic. They are clear and comprehensive as they accurately portray the events of the text. The illustrations are scattered throughout the book in no particular fashion; some pages have one large illustration; other pages have 2 or 3 smaller illustrations. The illustrations provide such a variety for readers to view that the story could be understood without the words if needed. For example, when the author describes the ordeal Paddington faces with not being able to get out of the bath tub there are 5 illustrations between 2 pages that portray the event to a T! show less

Paddington by Michael Bond is a book that is charming and a timeless story that blends warmth, humor, and gentle life lessons. The story follows a bear named Paddington who was from Peru and somehow ended up in London. The main theme of this story is kindness, which in the story with Paddington be a bear and everyone thinks he's different because he is a bear. Although, with the family that takes him in they show him kindness and it changes his life. Along with that, the story blends the use lighthearted language, vivid descriptions, and storytelling to make a interesting and enjoyed story. Overall, this is a really go story that every child should read onse in there lives.

I liked this book a lot. It's the first book in a series, and tells a very cute story of a bear that gets lost on a voyage and is adopted by a family when found at a train station. They name him Paddington and find that he's very accident-prone and generally very messy. They accept him for who he is, though - an adventurous little bear with a heart of gold. I like the plot/theme of the story and think it sends a very wholesome message to its readers about accepting peoples' quirks and differences. Its language isn't overly-simple but is still engaging and easy to understand. Tougher vocabulary/phrases such as "Darkest Peru" and "voyage" are used frequently. It also introduces some interesting pragmatics when certain characters are show more introduced and talk in a different voice than the authors'. When they catch a cab with a messy Paddington, the driver goes "'Bear is extra...sticky bears is twice as much. And make sure none of it comes off on my interior. It was clean when I set out this morning.'" His accent shines through his dialogue, which helps make the story relatable and interesting to its readers. It's organized well and has a nice rhythm/pace. It's told in the third person; in my opinion, I think it would be even more successful if told from the couple or Paddington's point-of-view. Its illustrations are recognizable - you know just from the style alone that it's a Paddington book. It doesn't necessarily push any tough issues on the readers or challenge them; it definitely takes its place as a cute, classic story. show less

I read this brilliant story as an audio book, so there are less descriptions and no 'said such-and-such', but I still found it a great tale full of adventure. In fact, I think it may well be better to listen along with nothing telling you who's talking because it seems as if they are really speaking, and you are part of the story, and it's coming to life as you read. The people telling my version hesitated often, talking slowly and clearly to let the listener hear.


Paddington wasn't at all called that at first. He was found by the Browns at Paddington Station, only to inform them that he didn't really have a name at all; well, he did, but that was in bear language, and nobody could understand Spanish anyway, for he lived in Peru. Judy show more and Jonathan Brown were proud and boastful to have a bear in the house, and Mrs and Mr Brown were - well, Mr Brown was astonished and rather disliked the 'animal', but Mrs. was interested to know about him and eager to help find his people.
Read (or listen) to this great book, and find out what happens in Paddington's adventures! show less