Our new favorite book!

"Rarely does a debut so justly and eloquently lay down its claim to be a classic; Archie is a comic masterpiece. Gloriously understated and beautifully drawn, it wins on every score"
- Alexander Armstrong (Armstrong and Miller)
"I love Archie! He made me laugh out loud."
- Fern Britton


"Witty, fantastical, totally loveable with a very loyal ending"
- Clarissa Dickson Wright

Meet Archie: Designer. Fashionista. Dog. Archie leads a quiet life with his faithful pet. That is, until he gets a sewing machine and his creativity starts to run wild. It's not long before Archie's nimbleness with a needle catches the attention of his friends and fellow dog walkers. Soon, the entire city is straining at the leash for one of his couture concoctions... including a queen and her two very royal corgis. This enchanting, nearly wordless picture book about following your dreams wherever they may lead will inspire and delight readers of all ages.

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Paddington!

 

Michael Bond recalls in his own words how Paddington first came into being:

"I bought a small toy bear on Christmas Eve 1956. I saw it left on a shelf in a London store and felt sorry for it. I took it home as a present for my wife Brenda and named it Paddington as we were living near Paddington Station at the time. I wrote some stories about the bear, more for fun than with the idea of having them published. After ten days I found that I had a book on my hands. It wasn’t written specifically for children, but I think I put into it the kind things I liked reading about when I was young."

How Paddington first came into being

Michael Bond sent the book to his agent, Harvey Unna, who liked it and after sending to to several publishers it was eventually accepted by William Collins & Sons (now Harper Collins). The publishers commissioned an illustrator, Peggy Fortnum, and the very first Paddington book "A Bear Called Paddington" was published on 13th October 1958.

What happened next

In 1965, after writing several Paddington titles Michael Bond retired from his job as a cameraman with the BBC, a job he held for many years, in order to write full time.

Of Paddington himself Michael Bond says:

"The great advantage of having a bear as a central character is that he can combine the innocence of a child with the sophistication of an adult. Paddington is not the sort of bear that would ever go to the moon - he has his paws too firmly on the ground for that. He gets involved in everyday situations. He has a strong sense of right and wrong and doesn't take kindly to the red tape bureaucracy of the sillier rules and regulations with which we humans surround ourselves. As a bear he gets away with things. Paddington is humanised, but he couldn't possibly be 'human'. It just wouldn't work."

The Paddington books have sold more than thirty-five million copies worldwide and have been translated into over forty languages.

Michael Bond continues:

"I am constantly surprised by all the translations because I thought that Paddington was essentially an English character. Obviously Paddington-type situations happen all over the world."

The Paddington Books

The very first Paddington book was "A Bear Called Paddington" which was published in the UK by William Collins (now Harper Collins) in 1958. Illustrated with pen and ink drawings by Peggy Fortnum, this title is a novel in eight chapters and is still available today. There are eleven further titles in this series, the most recent of which was published in 2008, exactly fifty years after the very first book. These are the stories which tell most of Paddington's adventures.

With the first year of publication, they are as follows:

• A Bear Called Paddington
• More About Paddington 1959
• Paddington Helps Out 1960
• Paddington Abroad 1961
• Paddington at Large 1962
• Paddington Marches On 1964
• Paddington at Work 1966
• Paddington Goes to Town 1968
• Paddington Takes the Air 1970
• Paddington on Top 1974
• Paddington Takes the Test 1979
• Paddington: Here and Now 2008
• Paddington Races Ahead 2012

By clicking on the titles you can read a brief synopsis of each of the stories.

In 1972 the first picture books for younger readers were published. These were illustrated by Fred Banbery and there were six titles in the series.

In the 1980's another series of picture books were introduced. These books were a smaller format and were illustrated by David McKee.

The most recent Paddington picture books to be published are those which have been beautifully illustrated by the American artist, R.W. Alley and, in addition to recent brand new titles, he has also re-illustrated many of the earlier picture books.

With the inclusion of a large number of acitivity and board books for very young children, in total there have been over 150 different Paddington books published since 1958. However,from a collector's point of view, the most valuable are the first editions of the original novels.

 

For much more about Paddington, go to http://www.paddingtonbear.com/home.html

 

At The Eric Carle Museum...

 

Our British Cousins: The Magical Art of Maisy and Friends
May 22 - November 25, 2012
Lucy Cousins is the creator of the beloved Maisy series. She is also the author-illustrator of numerous other stories, including the widely acclaimed Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children’s Book, as well as I’m the Best and Hooray for Fish! The Eric Carle Museum is pleased to announce it will host a survey of this wonderful artist’s work: Our British Cousins: The Magical Art of Maisy and Friends in the central gallery. The exhibition, comprising forty works, will be on view from May 22 until November 25, 2012. Lucy Cousins, who lives in Hampshire, England, will make a special visit to the Museum in the fall [consult the website for updated information]. The generosity of Candlewick Press and Walker Books UK have made this exhibition and Lucy’s visit possible.

Support for Our British Cousins: The Magical Art of Maisy and Friends has been generously provided by Candlewick Press.

Georgia Nicholson, a role model for us all...

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging



Her dad’s got the mentality of a Teletubby (only not so developed). Her cat, Angus, is trying to eat the poodle next door. And her best friend thinks she looks like an alien – just because she accidentally shaved off her eyebrows. Ergghhhlack. Still, add a little boy-stalking, teacher-baiting, and full-frontal snogging with a Sex God, and Georgia’s year just might turn out to be the most fabbitty fab fab ever!

“Hysterically funny. You might want to refrain from reading this one in public.”
– Seventeen


http://www.georgianicolson.com/