Love from Paddington: A Heartwarming Children's Classic of Letters and London Adventures

Paddington #14

by Michael Bond

Sealed with a sticky paw! First class correspondence from the nation's favourite bear, Paddington – now a major movie star!

Dear Aunt Lucy,I expect this will come as a great surprise to you, but not only have I arrived in England, but I have an address! I’m staying at number 32 Windsor Gardens and it isn’t at all like the Home for Retired Bears…

This delightfully engaging series of letters from Paddington to his Aunt Lucy in Peru, follows his new experiences in London while showcasing his uniquely charming and hilarious take on the world. From stowing away on a ship, to working as a barber, there is certainly never a dull moment!

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook, Fantasy, Classics, Animals, Middle Grade

145 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 6, 2014

About the author

Michael Bond, CBE was an English children's author. He was the creator of Paddington Bear and wrote about the adventures of a guinea pig named Olga da Polga, as well as the animated BBC TV series The Herbs. Bond also wrote culinary mystery stories for adults featuring Monsieur Pamplemousse and his faithful bloodhound, Pommes Frites.

Reviews

[Carolyn Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was precious. I loved every page!

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was unbelievably adorable!!!

Paddington sends letters to her aunt Lucy in Peru telling her everything about his adventures to and in London.

I love Paddington with all my heart! He's just so cute, funny and smart! Most fabulous bear ever! I love him even more than Pooh Bear!

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reworking of some of Paddington's previous adventures, told in the form of letters to his Aunt Lucy in Peru. As charming and entertaining as all of Michael Bond's writing.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I wasn't sure that I was going to like this one. It's all letters from Paddington to his Aunt Lucy, which is fine and dandy, except that the first few letters were all summaries of the events of the first book. He talked about how the Browns had found him and brought him to live with them, about decorating his own room, and getting lost shopping. And I started to worry that this was nothing more than an attempt to cash in on the Paddington popularity. But after the first few letters, they were indeed new stories, but told briefly in letter form, which worked well. We especially liked the last one, in which his rich uncle visits in a limo. A very nice addition to the Paddington line up, if not quite so charming as the first two.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first fell in love with Paddington in 1977, but he hasn't held up well for me. Neither of the kids has ever gone for him, and recent efforts on a re-read went nowhere. This was okay, but it benefited from nostalgia points. Well, that, and filling in the Peruvian backstory.

Library copy

[Keksisbaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dieses Buch ist eine Zusammenfassung der vielen skurrilen Abenteuer von Paddington aus dem finstersten Peru, in Form von Briefen an seine Tante Lucy. Sei es nun Paddingtons Amateurversuche als Fotograph mit einer antiken Ausrüstung oder das Auslösen eines Feuerwehralarms bei dem Versuch Geld von seinem Bankkonto abzuheben oder seine kurze Karriere als Cricketspieler. Es ist ein bunter Potpourri seiner Erlebnisse in Windsor Garden.

Da ich noch nicht alle Bücher gelesen hatte, gab es in diesem Buch auch noch neue Geschichten über den zuckersüßen Bären für mich zu entdecken. Die anderen Briefe, die Begebenheiten erzählen, aus Büchern die ich schon kannte, waren eine wunderbare Erinnerung an schöne Lesemomente. Das zottelige, liebenswürdige Chaos auf zwei Beinen hat es mir einfach angetan und ich freue mich schon auf die restlichen Bücher dieses knuffigen Bären, die auf meinem Lesestapel liegen.

Für alle großen und kleinen Paddington Fans ist dieses Buch eine tolle Lektüre und für alle die ihn noch nicht kennen eine Möglichkeit sich ein bisschen in seine Art zu denken und zu handeln einzufühlen.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

So freaking cute. This - contrary to the other books in the series - is written in the form of letters Paddington writes to his Aunt Lucy and that was a really sweet format for the book.

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful little book. <3

[chucklesthescot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a much quicker Paddington read because of the letter format so I'm doing a shorter review of it. We hear from Aunt Lucy and why she decided to send Paddington off on his adventures, letting him experience more of life than just hanging out with old retired bears at the home. We get Paddington's view of being sent away and the full story of how he got to London by ship and met the Brown family. It was great to see the letters that Paddington sent to Aunt Lucy, telling of all his adventures! It was a fun addition to the series.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars & 3/10 hearts. This book wan’t very funny at all, partly because I knew most of the stories already, but mostly because Paddington’s point of view isn’t really as funny as the narrator’s. It did explain a little about his backstory and his aunt Lucy. There are a few euphemisms.

[kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

paddington with luv

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a charming story! It was adorable and creative with many hijinks. I especially loved the epistolary format. Actor Jim Broadbent did a wonderful job narrating the book’s audio. His engaging style worked perfectly for a Paddington story.

Content: replacement profanity

[Deity World · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable set of letters to his aunt and glad she replied to one at the end but did mention that he hadn’t yet replied and if London is good enough for him

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly adorable. Letters that Paddington wrote to his Aunt Lucy back in Peru, documenting some of his adventures over the years.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is so charming, much like the original stories. It features several letters from Paddington back home to his Aunt Lucy starting from his tale of how he met the Browns. Unlike the original stories we have the version of the book I have has no illustrations so it feels more 'grown up' and was a bit lost on my niece, but I loved it.

[Illiterate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Old stories retold by Paddington in letters home. Lacking the humor of his misunderstandings.

[karis! ⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

(on record - this book does not take that long to read. it’s only because i actually forgot about it for ages & read others instead)

anyways! great book, super cute, gorgeous edition as well! it was actually so funny!

every home needs a bear 🐻🤎

[elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh to be an old bear in the home for retired bears in peru reading letters in an armchair

[Jamie Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the Paddington books have been from the view point of many,this book focuses on the viewpoint of Paddington himself as he writes to his Aunt Lucy. It’s absolutely adorable, wonderful and funny. A book to brighten anyone’s mood.

[Elen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Eline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gekocht en gelezen in London 🥺 10/10 🤩

[Tabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
🌟🌟🌟✨️

[Manon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit saddened that this book only had stories that were in previous books as well, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

[Madhumita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how this one retold many of the stories from the previous books in Paddington's perspective.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not know that Michael Bond was still writing Paddington books! This is a sweet concept - Paddington is writing letters to his Aunt Lucy who is living in the home for retired bears in Peru. I finally got the answer I've been looking for all of these years about what that home is and how it came to be.

A little stilted though - the book starts out with a recap of Paddington and then the letters recount various adventures. Still funny, but not quite as strong as the original. My favorites included the "do it yourself" home decorating projects, the marmalade sandwich drop from the opera box, and Paddington's stint in the barbershop.

[Fi's Journey · Rating 3 out of 5]

"English is a funny language. They don't waste words - they make them have lots of different meanings instead. But it can be complicated."

Oh, Paddington you summed up what many people from other countries probably think about the English language :) That's just too funny!

I thought this was a cute book where we get to see Paddington's letters to his Aunt Lucy. They are all from previous stories from the other Paddington books but I enjoyed reading them again in a new format.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wonderful writing and story-telling.

[Amy B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This bear! I want to hug him and also he makes me nervous! I liked these letters to aunt Lucy and that we got to hear Aunt Lucy’s perspective/letter.

[Porsche . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable my pookie

[Martyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. I don't really understand all the positive reviews and everyone who say it's 'cute' or 'adorable'. It's meant to be Paddington recounting adventures from all his earlier books in letters to his Aunt Lucy, but it is a failure of a book in so many ways. These letters lack all the warmth and charm and humour and interest of the original narratives. The voice isn't the voice of Paddington. It isn't the mind of Paddington. This isn't the Paddington I know and love. I not sure of the exact timings of the writing of this book and the release of the film, but it did feel very much like the original Paddington of Bond's imagination had morphed into the Paddington of the film version - and that just isn't the Paddington of the books.

The book started out badly by the introduction of a computer. Paddington first arrived on the scene in 1958! Personal computers didn't exist, either in real life, or in the fictional world of Paddington. Why introduce one now? What does it add? A typewriter would have been acceptable, but mention of a computer instantly kills any hope you might have of this being a tolerable book. I hate this updating to accommodate the times. By all means write new books set in the present times if you must, but have the dignity and confidence to allow the original stories to remain as they were originally written and don't tamper with perfection. It seems especially stupid to update references to money and technology when these things are always in a state of flux anyway. The early books, with minimal references to electronic devices of any kind, are more likely to retain a timeless quality about them than later revisions which have needlessly referenced contemporary technological developments just for the sake of it.

The book claims to be presenting Paddington's adventures from his point of view, but the original books did that perfectly well. What you get here is not the Paddington you know and love. As I said before - this is not the Paddington of the books. This is not his way of speaking, this is not his way of thinking. This is the Paddington of the films. It has nothing of worth to add to what we already had - except by throwing up irritating discrepancies which are impossible to reconcile with the original stories. This retelling of the original adventures is dull and I am rather sorry it was ever written. But then again, I seem to be in a minority on this so what does my opinion matter?