A Bear Called Paddington
By Michael Bond
Published by HarperCollins
Ages 5 yrs and upwards
There are many Paddington adaptations and editions now, so I wanted to go back to the first, original story and illustrations, to see what lies at the heart of this classic and loved character.
Right at the start, Paddington, with no home or relatives in England, is taken in and accepted by the Brown family as one of their own. This alone is a heartwarming and timeless message. Bond writes with such humour too:
'Mr Brown... stirred his tea and looked out of the window, pretending he had tea with a bear on Paddington station every day of his life'.
The stories that follow show Paddington himself as extremely endearing and cute as he innocently and accidentally gets into trouble or an odd situation - often just trying to help and sometimes with hilarious effect:
'Mr Brown... looked as though he had just been struck by lightening...'
However, there are some inspired moments - like Paddington sitting on the floor drawing a map using shaving cream, or his painting winning a prize, that show just how clever and creative he actually is.
Although I love the notion alone that Paddington, as a bear, is a member of the family, at the heart of these stories is how the Brown family respects Paddington trying his best in any given situation.
Comments
Post a Comment