Paddington Here and Now

Fifty years after his first adventure in A Bear Called Paddington, this beloved and well-lauded character returns in a charming new chapter book. Reassuringly, things haven't changed much at 32 Windsor Gardens in the 30 years since the last episode: Paddington, a bear "not short of ideas," is still the apple of the Brown family's eye; the darling of their no-nonsense housekeeper, Mrs. Bird; and the bun-and-cocoa-sharing companion of kindly antiques-dealer Mr. Gruber. Beginning with a chapter in which Paddington's trademark shopping basket on wheels goes missing and his visit to the police station goes awry, continuing with several amusing interludes involving the Browns' crotchety next-door neighbor, and culminating with a surprise visit from long-lost Uncle Pastuzo, this volume retains the gentle humor of the earlier installments.