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We only discovered Paddington Bear after we had started having children and homeschooling, in the late 1980s. Needless to say, we fell in love with him. Part of our love for this bear is probably because of being an Anglophile for many years, since Paddington, even though he is from “darkest Peru,” is most definitely an English bear. But most of the love comes because of his character and the hilarious episodes he engenders. We have taken to calling some people a “Paddington” since things sort of “happen” when they are nearby, generally mixed-up things. Reading the Paddington books aloud to our children was difficult, since we were always breaking up in mirth.
The author, Michael Bond, lived from 1926 to 2017 and wrote the first book in the Paddington series, A Bear Called Paddington, in 1958. The Brown family (mother, father, son, daughter, housekeeper) find him at the Paddington Tube and Train Station in London, England, and give him that name. My wife and I were thrilled to actually visit Paddington Station in 2025 and see the bronze statue of the iconic bear right in the middle of the station. Bond wrote many books, chief of which were approximately 30 Paddington chapter books. The titles that are new in the Plumfield Libraries are mainly from the 1950s to 1970s and include: A Bear Called Paddington, More About Paddington, Paddington Helps Out, Paddington Abroad, Paddington at Large, Paddington Marches On, Paddington at Work, Paddington Goes to Town, Paddington on Top, Paddington Takes the Test, and Paddington Here and Now.
Each book is a loosely-connected series of episodes so that the book reads a bit like a short novel. The humor comes from the innocence of Paddington, who takes everything literally, is quite insistent on his rights, and is very careful of his money. If he thinks that anyone is trying to take advantage of him or any of the Brown family, they receive a hard stare from Paddington, which can make the bravest person quail! The reader sees his behavior through the eyes of the Brown family, who are always sympathetic and loyal to him but maybe a little bit exasperated, too. Mrs. Bird, the housekeeper and practically a member of the family, is quite a tough lady who nurses a soft spot for Paddington. The details of the stories are not necessary to go into here – read them for yourselves and laugh and laugh! The Paddington stories are wonderful read-aloud stories for the whole family, since even adults appreciate the humor of this marvelous and humble bear. But be careful – your children might start storing marmalade sandwiches in their hats for emergencies! Most of the illustrations were done by Peggy Fortnum, which add a lot to the delight of the stories.