Paddington Bear has entertained children for generations. The latest installment in the nearly 60 year old series is set to be published in April 2017. 90 year old author, Michael Bond, published his first Paddington book in 1958.
Paddington’s Finest Hour will follow our hero from the darkest Peru as he stars on a TV cooking show and gives his classic “hard look” to a hypnotist on stage. The latest Paddington book continues with the same humor and endearing qualities that have caused readers to fall in love with the others time and time again.
R.W. Alley will be doing the illustrations for Paddington’s Finest Hour. Alley has been illustrating the Paddington books since 1997.
Source: Evening Standard
Michael Bond first got the idea for the Paddington books when he bought his wife a bear as a stocking stuffer one Christmas. They decided to name the bear Paddington after Paddington Station in London. While trying to think of something to write about one day, he saw the bear on the mantle and started writing about it. Before long, he had the first chapter of a book. A Bear Called Paddington was Bond’s first Paddington book and was written over the span of eight days.
In the first story, Paddington was found by the Brown family in Paddington Station, London, with a note attached to his coat that read “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” Bond modeled Paddington’s arrival in London after evacuee children leaving London during WWII.
Through the past 60 years, Paddington has evolved into many forms including stuffed animals, TV series, a movie, statues, and a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Paddington Bear is now more well-known than Paddington Station. He even has his own Twitter account! You can follow him at @paddington.
Paddington’s Finest Hour will be released shortly before Paddington 2, the second major film, which is scheduled to be released in November 2017.
Which Paddington story do you remember best?
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Featured image via BBC
h/t Guardian
