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If I were going to introduce babies and toddlers to Paddington Bear, I would reach for these board books. The stories and illustrations (copyright 1998) contain many of the things we associate with Paddington, such as the market, his suitcase, marmalade, and his family and friends. Although there are only four to eight words that run along the bottom of the glossy white pages, the sentences rhyme and they contain some repetition.
In Paddington Bear Goes to Market, the brown bear is dressed in his red hat and blue jacket. He’s “hurrying, hurrying, never stopping” past city workers, young and old, with an empty basket. He doesn’t stop until he gets to the bakery and buys a bun to share with Mr. Gruber. This book doesn’t show the lumbering, clumsy Paddington.
In Paddington Bear All Day , we see his messier side both in his bedroom and at the table when he’s eating meals. This story has him interacting with his family and going through his routines, which consist of getting dressed, eating, washing, and getting ready for bed.
In both books, his childlike personality is shown in the text (Good-bye day, good evening, moon. Why do you always appear so soon?) and the art work (he jumps out of bed in the morning, he spills tea and slops marmalade). The covers have barely perceivable yellowed edges; this is a clever reminder of Paddington’s age.
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Paddington Bear Goes to Market