Michael Bond and the Story of Paddington Bear
Blurb: Michael Bond never intended to be a children's writer. Though an avid reader, he was by no means a model student and quit school at 14. He repaired rooftop radio transmitters during the bombing of Britain in World War II and later joined the army. He wrote about the war and more, selling stories here and there. One day, while searching for inspiration at his typewriter, hoping for a big story that would allow him to write full time, a stuffed bear on top of the shelf--a Christmas present for his wife--suddenly caught his eye. Bond poured his personal feelings about the events of his era--the refugee children his family had hosted in the countryside, a war-torn country in recovery, the bustling immigrant neighborhood where he lived--into the story of a little bear from Peru who tries very, very hard to do things right. The result was A Bear Called Paddington.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOOK REVIEW
What a charming little read this was. I grew up on the tv series, so reading about the author and how he thought up Paddington was nostalgic as well as informative. The biography starts when Bond is 10 years old. It is a perfect middle grade read, my daughter read it alongside me, and it was wonderful to see her enjoying her first foray into biographies.
The Author doesn't shy away from serious topics, since they impacted Bond's life in some way or another. Not only does it mention big topics such as the World Wars but personal ones too such as his struggles with balancing work and time with his daughter, and divorce. These ideas are pitched at exactly the right level for its youngest audience, and let my daughter have an insight into what it was like growing up in that era, and seeing what the author experienced in his life.
As an adult I derived pleasure too in seeing how a character, a story, a book can blossom from the tiniest of thoughts. How the plight of the refugees and evacuated children from the big cities, during WWII, would manifest into the story of an orphaned Bear from the deepest Peru. An immigrant bear, alone and lonely sitting on his suitcase in Paddington station.
As a child, I loved the show for the bear and the scrapes he got into, as an adult and a mother through this book I have come to appreciate the underlying messages Bond was conveying.
What a lovely little book, with its insights into the creation of Paddington Bear and the Man behind it. Great read for children and adults alike.
Thank you MTMC TOURS, Rosanne Tolin and Chireviewpress for my review copy in return for my honest opinions.