Classics Corner: Paddington Bear
A new series reviewing classic children's books
In my recent call out for content you’d be interested in seeing from this newsletter, a whopping amount of you said that you’d love to see reviews of the classic children’s books and how they’ve held up. Many of the most beloved children’s books were published within the last century and a lot has changed since they were first released. I’m tickled to do this because I’ve been wondering about it too so I’m glad we’re all on the same page!
I’m calling this series, Classics Corner, and every month I’ll share a classic (leaning on this wonderful list compiled by the New York Public Library and this one from the BBC) and discuss the book in question, reading it with a modern lens, and how we can share the book with our kids. I’ll be upfront and say here: even if a book is problematic in the present day, it still presents a learning opportunity. So, unless it’s truly heinous—which I doubt—, I’ll probably suggest talking points for discussion with your kids.
Without further ado… let’s get reading!
The Paddington Treasury: Six Classic Bedtime Stories
Written by Michael Bond and Illustrated by R. W. Alley
Recommended Ages: 3-7 years old
Buy now*
I read the Paddington Bear books many a moon ago as a child. This book was gifted to my kid over the holidays and I thought it was the perfect starting place for this review. Paddington Bear is famous all over the world. The little fuzzy brown bear in his blue duffle coat, red hat, and wellies is a world-famous British icon.
Michael Bond, the author, drew inspiration when he was doing his Christmas shopping and saw a sole, forlorn bear sitting on the shop shelves. It reminded him of the two Jewish children his parents hosted during WWII; separated from their families and their homes, their sadness left an indelible mark on Bond. That formed the basis of Paddington’s origin story—a refugee and immigrant bear who settles in the UK.
Paddington leaves “darkest Peru” to find a better life in London. Sent by his Aunt Lucy who now has to live in the Home for Retired Bears in Peru, he finds himself alone at Paddington Station in London waiting—hoping—someone will care for him. When the Brown family finds him, they welcome him into their home.
Paddington is the first to inform you that “things are always happening to [him]. [He’s] just that sort of bear.” And each Paddington story is a chronicle of his escapades. At the heart of it, Paddington is a simple, sweet bear who gets into all kinds of mishaps. Kids, keeping close company with mishaps of their own, will love following Paddington’s adventures.
What I loved
My favorite thing about the Paddington stories is that at the heart of it, they’re generally simple stories about normal experiences. Stories where Paddington plants a garden or goes to the zoo, the laundromat, etc. These seemingly normal and boring activities to us as adults are BIG adventures for kids. Kids will find a kindred spirit in Paddington as he hilariously stumbles through these activities.
There are also the tiniest, subtlest, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them lessons in the story. For example, when Paddington is heading to the palace with his friend Mr. Gruber, he wants to pick flowers at a public garden to present to the Queen. Mr. Gruber, in the gentlest way, reminds him that it’s wrong and will spoil the garden for others. It’s such a small scene but the message is clear.
Paddington is also quintessentially British. I enjoyed learning about British culture through Paddington’s eyes. If you ever plan to visit London with kids, I highly recommend reading Paddington stories before you go. It’ll be so much fun for them to see and experience the sights and traditions they observe in the stories.
Real Talk
Paddington is first and foremost an immigrant to the UK. Hailing from “darkest Peru”—raised my eyebrows when I first read this—his heritage and Peruvian identity are almost completely erased within the first few pages of the original story. Despite conversing with the bear and asking him where he’s from, the Browns never ask him his name and instead give him the name, Paddington, for the station where they meet. Readers learn, many years and Paddington books later, that the bear’s real name is Pastuso. As someone who has been asked many times if I have a simpler, more “American” name, this left a bad taste in my mouth.
While several of the scrapes Paddington gets into are sweet and funny, viewing them with more mature eyes, they’re reminiscent of someone striving to learn and assimilate to their new country and inevitably getting some cultural wires crossed. I could perceive them as jokes at the foreigner’s expense. Instead, I think kids will recognize the nature of Paddington’s misadventures: making sense of the unfamiliar. We’re often struck by our kids’ innocent, unique interpretations of the world—one which we are completely used to and take for granted. For kids, coming into experiences with fresh eyes the order of things may seem nonsensical. Being unfamiliar with rules and expectations will naturally lead to some hilarious results. Kids will recognize and connect with that in the Paddington stories.
Over the years, many artists have illustrated the Paddington books and the most recent is R.W. Alley. In his wholesome, cozy pencil illustrations, you’ll notice that although the cast is predominantly white, with a few racially and ethnically diverse characters in the background. And that’s about it.
Talking points
Here are a few questions I would ask older kids to prompt them to think about Paddington’s origins:
Do you think Paddington misses Peru?
How would you feel if you had to move to another country where you didn’t know anyone? What would you miss about home?
If you were Paddington, would you want to live with the Brown family?
Why do you think Paddington gets into so many mishaps?
Fun trivia
The first Paddington book was published in 1958 and the series has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than 30 million books worldwide!
Paddington has a statue at London’s Paddington Station at the very same spot where he was first found by the Browns
Before Paddington Bear stuffed toys were sold commercially, Shirley Clarkson designed and sewed a Paddington Bear stuffed toy for her children and added red Wellies to help him stand upright. Well, it was an iconic choice and now Paddington Bear is famous for his red Wellies. Interestingly, Shirley Clarkson’s children include one Jeremy Clarkson who you might recognize from the other famous British export: Top Gear.
Let’s Talk…
Have you read the Paddington stories? What did you think of them?
What are some of your favorite classic children’s books?
Let me know in the poll below which classic I should cover next!
Another thing is that I think it’s problematic to over-criticize books that are products of their times. For example, my ancestral heritage is Chinese and so much of it and many other East Asian cultures is shaped by Confucianism. Confucius, who wrote like 2,500 years ago would be considered sexist and classist by today’s standards. But it would be a mistake to cancel him outright (they tried during the Chinese Cultural Revolution). It’s just how things were. Most people probably thought just like him, anyway (though I’m sure he, too, had his critics). It’s kind of like how I’m now avoiding some so-called anti-diet influencers and podcast hosts because they seem to imply that anyone who eats what mainstream society calls healthy as being on a “diet.” It’s very toxic.
I'm so excited for this series! I appreciate your thoughts on this topic. The more I read classic children's books as an adult, the more I realize they are centered around colonialism. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If you've seen the Paddington movies it's more clear to me than in the books that he's taken from Peru. I think it's important to see them as a product of their time and hopefully, we can do better. Speaking of, one of my favorites growing up was Babar. I'm particularly interested in your perspective on that series!