Paddington Bear tries his paw at photography, decorating, detective work and Christmas shopping, with predictably chaotic results
A bear with good intentions
Paddington, the small bear from Darkest Peru, is now firmly settled with the Brown family at number thirty-two Windsor Gardens. In this second book he takes the family's portraits with an old camera, tries his hand at redecorating, turns detective when he suspects something odd is going on, enjoys a firework night and goes Christmas shopping. Each adventure begins with the best of intentions and ends in a glorious muddle, usually involving the grumpy neighbour, Mr. Curry.
Who will enjoy it
Young children who loved A Bear Called Paddington, families wanting a gentle read-aloud, and anyone who enjoys warm, old-fashioned humour.
What you will get
A second collection of warm, funny episodes in which a well-meaning bear tackles photography, decorating, detective work and the festive season.
More About Paddington Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Children’s Books · Paddington Bear · Family comedy · London
Length
176 pages · ≈ 5 h
More about this book
The book follows the pattern that makes Paddington so loved: each chapter is a self-contained story in which Paddington takes on an ordinary task, misunderstands something, and causes a chain of comic disasters that somehow turn out well. The decorating chapter, in which he makes a spectacular mess of the wallpaper, is a highlight.
Bond's gentle humour works for children and adults alike. Paddington's dignity, his hard stare and his firm belief in marmalade sandwiches are funny without ever making him look foolish. The Browns, Mrs. Bird and Mr. Gruber form a warm, supportive circle, and Mr. Curry is a perfect comic grump.
The episodes are similar in shape, so reading too many at once can feel repetitive. Some details of post-war London life may need a word of explanation. The festive final chapters make it a lovely choice for winter evenings. Each chapter takes about fifteen minutes to read aloud, which suits bedtime well. Adults reading aloud will enjoy the dry asides and the bear's unshakeable politeness just as much as their listeners, and the stories bear many rereadings. About 176 pages in the HarperCollins paperback, with Peggy Fortnum's original illustrations.
A Bear Called Paddington
Winnie-the-Pooh
Mary Poppins
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Double Fudge
Dear Zoo
Henry Huggins
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Spot’s First Walk
Strega Nona
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Pippi Longstocking