Parents' Guide to

A Bear Called Paddington

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Delightful classic about a bear adopted by a London family.

Book Michael Bond Animals 1958
A Bear Called Paddington Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 5+

Based on 1 parent review

age 5+
Loves of Winnie-the-Pooh and Peter Rabbit will delights in Paddington's silly escapades.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This is a lovely way to introduce a new generation to one of the classic children's book series of the 20th century. The oversized 50th anniversary edition includes the original illustrations, now in color, and a few that were left out of the original edition. This is a book from an earlier time, when the humor was gentle and books for children were expected to entertain and comfort.

These stories are perfect both for young readers making the move into chapter books, and for snuggling up in bed with an adult reading them out loud at bedtime. There's nothing here to disturb young dreams, and much in both text and simple pictures to make both reader and listener grin and giggle. In our hurried, violent world, these stories can carve out a little space for a child just to experience unalloyed pleasure.

Book Details

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