Paddington Bear (Paddington Bear)

Rating:
Summary: Introduce little ones to Paddington
Review: I loved the "real" Paddington stories as a young girl. When I saw these versions for younger kids at the library, I checked some out to see if my daughter would enjoy them. She loves them! The longer, original stories are much too complex for her (she's 2). But these introduce the characters and are filled with the same humor and warmth of the original stories. The illustrations are wonderful and bring my beloved Paddington to life. We love these books and have now purchased some for our collection!

Rating:
Summary: Cute for its age group!
Review: It may seem like a "dumbed-down picture book" version of the original story --- because it's meant for a YOUNGER READER!! The age group for this book is clearly stated as AGES 4-8, while the original is for AGES 9-12. This is a wonderful book with delightful illustrations for the 4-8 year old. It's just the right length for parents to read to the kids (without falling asleep) and for beginning readers to read it themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Not the real thing...
Review: This is a dumbed-down picture book version of Paddington that sacrifices most of the charm of the original stories. This is one of the few childrens' book purchases I've ever regretted. Buy A Bear Called Paddington instead.