A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

A lonely toy bear on an otherwise empty shop shelf on Christmas Eve in 1956 first captured the attention of Michael Bond. Enamored, the BBC employee brought the stuffed bear home to his wife. They named the bear Paddington after the station near their home in London, and thus inspired, Bond began to write a few cute stories about the bear's adventures starting with A Bear Called Paddington in October 1958. The friendly bear with his old hat, battered suitcase, duffel coat and love of marmalade—has become a classic character from British children's literature and has become popular with American audiences as well. Learn more in our book collecting guide article, "Michael Bond - The Man Behind Paddington Bear."

Paddington first charmed American audiences 40 years ago. Now a new generation will be won over by Paddington's particular brand of preposterous humor and gentle satire. Illustrations.

Best selling editions of A Bear Called Paddington

Michael Bond
Paperback
HarperCollins Children's Books, Revised
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Michael Bond
Paperback
HarperCollins
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Michael Bond
Hardcover
HarperCollins Publishers
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Michael Bond
Hardcover
HarperCollins Children's Books
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Michael Bond
Hardcover
HarperCollins Publishers, UK
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Michael Bond
Hardcover
HarperCollins Publishers, UK
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Michael Bond
Hardcover
Not Avail
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Michael Bond
Paperback
Yearling Books
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Collecting A Bear Called Paddington

A lonely toy bear on an otherwise empty shop shelf on Christmas Eve in 1956 first captured the attention of Michael Bond. Enamored, the BBC employee brought the stuffed bear home to his wife. They named the bear Paddington after the station near their home in London, and thus inspired, Bond began to write a few cute stories about the bear's adventures starting with A Bear Called Paddington in October 1958. The friendly bear with his old hat, battered suitcase, duffel coat and love of marmalade—has become a classic character from British children's literature and has become popular with American audiences as well. Learn more in our book collecting guide article, "Michael Bond - The Man Behind Paddington Bear."

First Edition Identification

A Bear Called Paddington was first published in London by Collins in 1958 with a blue and white dust jacket. The first US edition was printed by Houghton Mifflin, Boston, in 1960, with a bright yellow dustwrapper with the title in various colors.