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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
Meh. I feel like this is another book written for adults in the guise of being a children’s book. Paddington’s character wasn’t developed deeply—he is portrayed as just a silly bear. Silly without being endearing. He always seems to be just getting through the day; we don’t see any relational aspect about him, unlike other bears like Winnie the Pooh. And it was unclear to me for a while if he was an actual bear or a stuffed animal. I had too many unresolved questions: If the Browns were shocked to see a bear in the train station, why isn’t anybody else shocked to encounter him? If he’s from Darkest Peru, how did he learn to speak/read/write English? Why did Mrs. Brown ever leave him alone—he’s a bear!? Is he a child? An adult?
Theo enjoyed a chapter or two each night before bed.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So cute! I'd always been curious about Paddington, so I'm happy to have finally picked this up. Every chapter was charming and sweet, and Paddington is such a lovable bear. It's no wonder he was such a hit with children back then, and I'm sure that even the children of today would be tickled by his little misadventures.
Paddington is more familiar to me as the 1987 or 1997 animated TV show, one of my favorites as a kid. Not sure which it was, but in any case I missed Tim Curry as Mr Curry, because children's shows are usually dubbed around here. For some reason my heart is happy about the thought that Curry is in a Paddington TV show (at first I confused Mr Brown with Mr Curry, which is a shame, because I'd like to see Tim Curry adopt a bear).
Anywho, Paddington gets his name after London's Paddington Station, from where he's found by Mr and Mrs Brown. The bear from Peru loves marmalade and becomes known from his duffel coat and big hat. Well-meaning but clumsy, Paddington immediately starts to get into all sorts of situations. Among other things, he wanders around a tube station, goes shopping, visits the theatre, and makes a friend. Despite his tendency of getting into trouble, Paddington is very polite, but also doesn't accept poor treatment or what he interprets as poor treatment, reserving his icy stare for the culprit.
Classics of children's literature, the Paddington books are integral parts of British culture and therefore very British in nature. London exists very thinly in the background, with only a few mentions of landmarks and locations, but Bond has a knack for capturing the city, or maybe the country in a broader sense, with only a few strokes.
A Bear Called Paddington is cute and innocent fun, but doesn't underestimate its readers. Although I personally didn't fall in love with it (considering my usual taste in children's books, I didn't expect to either, but that's fine), it's nevertheless a classic that fully deserves that title. Paddington has a heart and soul that is the essence of children's literature. It's "a pot of tea and a plate of hot, buttered toast", a long Sunday morning in clean crispy sheets with the sun warming your face, and a bun and a cup of cocoa in a messy Portobello Road antique shop.
Anywho, Paddington gets his name after London's Paddington Station, from where he's found by Mr and Mrs Brown. The bear from Peru loves marmalade and becomes known from his duffel coat and big hat. Well-meaning but clumsy, Paddington immediately starts to get into all sorts of situations. Among other things, he wanders around a tube station, goes shopping, visits the theatre, and makes a friend. Despite his tendency of getting into trouble, Paddington is very polite, but also doesn't accept poor treatment or what he interprets as poor treatment, reserving his icy stare for the culprit.
Classics of children's literature, the Paddington books are integral parts of British culture and therefore very British in nature. London exists very thinly in the background, with only a few mentions of landmarks and locations, but Bond has a knack for capturing the city, or maybe the country in a broader sense, with only a few strokes.
A Bear Called Paddington is cute and innocent fun, but doesn't underestimate its readers. Although I personally didn't fall in love with it (considering my usual taste in children's books, I didn't expect to either, but that's fine), it's nevertheless a classic that fully deserves that title. Paddington has a heart and soul that is the essence of children's literature. It's "a pot of tea and a plate of hot, buttered toast", a long Sunday morning in clean crispy sheets with the sun warming your face, and a bun and a cup of cocoa in a messy Portobello Road antique shop.
CAWPILE: 8/10 - 4/5
Este libro se siente como un abrazo al corazón, la forma de cómo el autor escribe es sumamente reconfortante y la historia es linda con muchas enseñanzas.
Los valores del libro son hermosos y creo que es una historia universal.
Ahora quiero ver la película.
Este libro se siente como un abrazo al corazón, la forma de cómo el autor escribe es sumamente reconfortante y la historia es linda con muchas enseñanzas.
Los valores del libro son hermosos y creo que es una historia universal.
Ahora quiero ver la película.
Paddington is the best bear in the world! I love him.
This was the first chapter book I read aloud to my boys. We split the chapters a bit, reading about 5-7 pages a night, to keep their interest. The illustrations were spread well throughout the book, no more than 2 pages apart, which was nice for the boys to look forward to. This was a good book to start with, as each chapter almost stands on its own. I would "review" with the boys each night before starting, asking character names and what had happened before. This helped them keep up and enjoy the story more.
Overall, a good read-aloud to young children. Great to enjoy a classic over 50 years after it was published.
Overall, a good read-aloud to young children. Great to enjoy a classic over 50 years after it was published.
Charming wee novel to read with kids or own your own for some lighthearted marmaladey warmth
booktalk
Remember last summer when we had our Summer Reading kick off and movie in the parking lot? Anyone remember what the movie was? (There’s a hint in the photo….)
That’s right – Paddington!
But did you know that the movie was based off a book? A series of books, actually, written by Michael Bond. They’re wonderful, as is the movie – and a real delight to read.
Like many classic books, each chapter in the Paddington series could be contained as its very own short story – but all the chapters are linked together with a larger story – though different than the movie! If you like stories where the main character always tries to do the right thing, but somehow always ends up messing up and creating a big mess – then Paddington is the story for you.
Remember last summer when we had our Summer Reading kick off and movie in the parking lot? Anyone remember what the movie was? (There’s a hint in the photo….)
That’s right – Paddington!
But did you know that the movie was based off a book? A series of books, actually, written by Michael Bond. They’re wonderful, as is the movie – and a real delight to read.
Like many classic books, each chapter in the Paddington series could be contained as its very own short story – but all the chapters are linked together with a larger story – though different than the movie! If you like stories where the main character always tries to do the right thing, but somehow always ends up messing up and creating a big mess – then Paddington is the story for you.