Paddington's last adventure.

Sweet and nostalgic.

The Bear from Darkest Peru is back and still having misadventures.
Paddington takes on cooking, the police and much more in this beautifully written tale.
The classic elements of Paddington are all there, The Browns, Mr Curry, Mrs Bird and of course elevenses with Mr Gruber.
The writing is simple and yet fills you a familiar warmth, like marmalade sandwiches with cocoa.

I’ve been a huge fan of Paddington Bear ever since I was four years old. I read all of the books I could get my hands on and as time went by, the more I cherished my Paddington books (still own them). When I heard that Harper Collins UK was releasing a brand-new Paddington book (from a friend on Goodreads), I requested it on Netgalley. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be the same as the classic Paddington adventures of my youth but was thrilled to hear that this was written by Michael Bond before his passing.



Paddington and the Browns are back for seven all-new adventures and they include some delightful mishaps such as pouring rain and the post, gardening, a cooking show and more. The chemistry and whimsy are infused in Paddington’s Finest Hour for a whole new generation of readers. I loved it and read it over and over again. Whether you are a child or a grown-up, you’ll fall in love with Paddington all over again. The illustrations are beautiful and reminiscent of the classic illustrations. A must own and read!



Many thanks to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in the hopes I’d review it.



Favorite Character/Quote: Paddington. He’s one of my favourite literary characters and reading this book reminded me of reconnecting with a childhood friend. No matter how much time has gone by, they’re still lovely.



My Rating: 5 stars

This opens very badly, with an anti-police chapter and talk of "illegal immigrants" that immediately rubbed me up the wrong way. It improves slightly, but seems confused as to it's place in time. Some mobile phones have cameras (not all) the marmalade is from 2014 yet Paddington is paid a shilling. I know Bond wrote this at 90 but an editor should have caught it. It's quite hard to follow at times with the children appearing midway through scenes and no context is given - I haven't read Paddington for 25 years and had no idea who anyone was. A shame, but ultimately unsurprising. Illustrations are great though.

Darkest Peru's biggest export is back in another timeless adventure. I'd grown up with Paddington at an early age and decided, thanks to Netgalley, to introduce my grandson to the lovable bear. Michael Bonds creation continues to charm even after all these years.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Paddington Bear is a star. He's been a star for many decades thanks to the wonderful books but he is now also a star of film and in this book, he conquers a tv cooking show as well. Will his talents never end?
With his duffle coat and his bush hat, our sweet bear from darkest Peru is back with some very funny and dear tales. No matter with whom he is confronted from the police to a shifty neighbour to the judges on the cooking show, he deals with them with good grace and cheer. He is unfailingly polite and helpful as he manages to charm his way out of trouble and into the hearts of his readers.
There is a reason his stories have traversed generations.
I give this five purrs and two paws up.

In Paddington’s Finest Hour, Paddington is brought up to date and yet remains wonderfully old fashioned in the telling of his adventures. Readers of Paddington know just what to expect and Michael Bond delivers all the usual hilarious catalogue of misunderstandings through Paddington taking things literally and considering his encounters with his unique form of logic.
Mr Curry is very much in evidence and as always is up to no good at Paddington’s expense. Yet Paddington never feels ill will towards him no matter how badly Mr Curry uses him to his own ends. But satisfaction is assured because the expectation of readers seeing Mr Curry eventually get his comeuppance is always delivered, in a way that means Mr Curry’s misdeeds come back to haunt him.
The stories may appear simple but have all the structure of much more sophisticated writing. There is a whodunit, involving plant theft, which gives its young readers an opportunity to work out who perpetrated the crime. Some of the stories might have conclusions but are also part of an ongoing saga.
The beauty of Paddington is his innocence and naivety which never changes no matter how much exposure he has to the demands of the modern world. That he has also managed to acquire such wonderful friends and charm (or bewilder) so many people is also part of the appeal of the Paddington stories.
The Paddington film proved very popular with the grown-ups who have matured with the bear and the new generations of readers. The film very neatly captured the whole ethos of the Paddington stories, so this new book will provide an excellent opportunity for young readers to be encouraged to delve into some great storytelling.

Paddington's Finest Hour is a children's chapter book that's written and illustrated by Michael Bond.

Along with delightful drawings interspersed throughout this book, this story focuses on the classic Paddington bear. There are seven chapters, which are titled as Parking Problems, A Bird in the Hand, Curry's the Name, Paddington's Magical Moments, Dinner for One, A Visit to the Cleaners, and Paddington's Finest Hour.

Paddington's Finest Hour is geared towards younger readers, particularly third to seventh grades.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I'm never entirely sure that Paddington works in a modern world but I suspend belief every time and fall in love with the sticky bear time and time again.

A short, lovely book of stories about Paddington, a clever, well-meaning hellion of a bear.

As far as I understand, Paddington is a cultural icon in the UK, something akin to Winnie The Pooh or Peter Pan, an instantly recognizable character that many people grew up with. But where other famous characters got somewhat lost in time as books about them came and went, Paddington keeps going, many stories and two films in now, this being the latest in his series of adventures.

There are seven chapters in the book, all loosely connected by continuity beats, but each largely stand-alone delightful. The adventures are simple and quaint, including a downpour ruining a car trip to post a letter, a gardening mishap, a birthday party, and a variety show. But this easy charm, achieved by sheer warmth emanating from Paddington and his family, is worth quite a lot, especially as all this optimism seems effortless and real, supported by the fact that Mr. Brown, the father of the family, is still a sarcastic run-of-the-mill dad, balanced out by the ever-joyous bear.

Reading this book brought me back to times when I was a kid and gulped down piles of stories about Winnie, fairy tales, and comic books. It's a throwback to a time when life consisted of sunshine and birdsongs and sure, it's naive, it's escapism at its most basic. But it works, it works one hundred percent. I loved this and I definitely see why Paddington is such an icon and why people love him.

Another great story about Paddington Bear!! I just love how each chapter is a different story but it all flows together so nicely!! Paddington is a fun loveable character!

Found this thoroughly enjoyable, (even as an adult) Subjects and themes very relevant to today's society. Would recommend this as a good read for both children and adults (who loved Paddington as a child themselves)

Five Marmalade Sandwich Stars
Well it's official, history truly does repeat itself. I started my reading journey as a child with Paddington books (I still have all the paperbacks to prove it) and I've come full circle, through every genre you can think of, back to Paddington. I enjoyed my Paddington experience as much as ever, it would appear my love of this bear and all his misadventures has never died, he is still as affable, naive and lovable as ever, a truly classic experience. A great read with all the usual suspects (I'd forgotten how mean Mr Curry was). A lovely classic to read to your children and grandchildren, or great for the kids to read on their own when they're at that stage. I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (I saw it and could not resist, not once did I regret my decision).