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Archive for the ‘Panchatantra’ Category

Who is Paddington Bear?

Posted by kathavarta on October 13, 2008

Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children’s literature. He first appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum. The polite immigrant bear from Darkest Peru, with his old bush hat, battered suitcase and marmalade sandwiches has become a classic English children’s literature icon. Paddington books have been translated into thirty languages across seventy titles and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. Over 265 licensees, making thousands of different products across the UK, Europe, USA, Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia and South Africa all benefit from the universal recognition of Paddington Bear.

Paddington is an anthropomorphised bear. He is always polite (always addressing people as “Mr.”, “Mrs.” and “Miss” and very rarely by first names) and well-meaning (though he inflicts hard stares on those who incur his disapproval), likes marmalade sandwiches and cocoa, and has an endless capacity for getting into trouble. However, he is known to “try so hard to get things right”.

History

Origin
Bond based Paddington Bear on a lone teddy bear he noticed on a shelf in a London store near Paddington Station on Christmas Eve 1956, which he bought as a present for his wife. The bear inspired Bond to write a story, and in ten days, he had written the first book. The book was given to his agent, Harvey Unna. A Bear Called Paddington was first published on October 13, 1958, by William Collins & Sons (now Harper Collins).

The Toy Paddington Bear
The first Paddington Bear was created by Gabrielle Designs in 1972, a small business run by Shirley and Eddie Clarkson, with the prototype made as a Christmas present for her children Joanna and Jeremy Clarkson (English broadcaster and writer). Shirley Clarkson dressed Paddington in Wellington boots to help the bear stand upright. This is the origin of the addition of Wellington boots to Paddington’s attire. The earliest bears wore small children’s boots manufactured by Dunlop until they could not keep up with production. Gabrielle Designs then produced their own boots with paw prints moulded into the soles.

Storyline

In the first story, Paddington is found at Paddington railway station in London by the Brown family, sitting on his suitcase (bearing the label “WANTED ON VOYAGE”) with a note attached to his coat which reads, “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” Bond has said that his memories of newsreels showing trainloads of child evacuees leaving London during the war, with labels around their necks and their possessions in small suitcases, prompted him to do the same for Paddington.

He has arrived as a stowaway coming from “Darkest Peru”, sent by his Aunt Lucy (one of his only known relatives, aside from an Uncle Pastuzo who gave Paddington his hat), who has gone to live in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima. He claims, “I came all the way in a lifeboat, and ate marmalade. Bears like marmalade.” He tells them that no one can understand his Peruvian name, so the Browns decide to call him Paddington after the railway station in which he was found. Bond originally wanted Paddington to have “travelled all the way from darkest Africa”, but his agent advised him that there were no bears in darkest Africa, and thus it was amended to darkest Peru, home of the spectacled bear.

They take him home to 32 Windsor Gardens, off Harrow Road between Notting Hill and Maida Vale. The stories follow Paddington’s adventures and mishaps in England.

When he gets annoyed with someone, he often gives them one of his special “hard stares” (taught to him by Aunt Lucy), which causes the person to become flushed and embarrassed.

Characters
There is a recurring cast of characters, all of whom are in some way implicated by Paddington’s misadventures. These include:

– Mr. Brown (Henry): A friendly and often ineffectual city worker.
– Mrs. Brown (Mary): Mr. Brown’s equally friendly wife.
– Jonathan and Judy: The energetic and friendly Brown children. It is never established if one is older than the other, leading to the perception that they are twins.
– Mrs. Bird: The Browns’ stern, but ultimately friendly, housekeeper.
– Mr. Gruber: Owner of an antique shop on the Portobello Road, with whom Paddington has his elevenses every day.
– Mr. Curry: The Browns’ mean and bad-tempered next-door neighbour, who addresses Paddington simply as “Bear!”. He often invites himself to many of the Browns special occasions (though just to sample the snacks).
– Aunt Lucy: Paddington’s aunt from South America.

Books

A Bear Called Paddington was first published in 1958 and was followed by ten more books. In order of publication, the titles are:

A Bear Called Paddington (1958)

Who is Michael Bond?

Posted by kathavarta on October 13, 2008

Born 1926, in Newbury, Berkshire, England; Ethnicity: “White.” Education: Attended Presentation College, 1934-40. Hobbies and other interests: “Food, wine, theatre, photography and things French.”

Agent— Stephen Durbridge, The Agency, 24-32 Pottery Lane, Holland Park, London W11 4LZ, England.

Michael Bond, OBE, (born January 13, 1926 in Newbury, Berkshire) is an English children’s author. He is the creator of Paddington Bear and has written about the adventures of a guinea pig named Olga da Polga, as well as the animated BBC TV series The Herbs. Bond also writes culinary mystery stories for adults featuring Monsieur Pamplemousse and his faithful bloodhound, Pommes Frites.

Bond was educated at Presentation College, a Catholic school in Reading. During World War II he served in both the Royal Air Force and the Middlesex Regiment of the British Army.

British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC), Reading, England, engineer’s assistant, 1941-43; BBC, Caversham, England, with monitoring service, 1947-50; BBC, London, England, television cameraman, 1950-65; full-time writer, 1965–. Military service: Royal Air Force, 1943-44, air crew; British Army, Middlesex Regiment, 1944-47.

He began writing in 1945 and sold his first short story to a magazine London Opinion. In 1958, after producing a number of plays and short stories and while working as a BBC television cameraman (where he worked filming Blue Peter for a time) his first book A Bear Called Paddington was published. By 1967 he was able to give up his BBC job to work full-time as a writer. Paddington’s adventures have been published in nearly twenty countries.

He is married with two adult children and lives in London, not far from Paddington Station. The small bear he created has inspired pop bands, race horses, plays, hot air balloons and a TV series.

In 1997 Bond was awarded the OBE for services to children’s literature.

On 6th July 2007 the University of Reading awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Letters.

Michael Bond’s most famous books by far are the Paddington series, detailing the adventures of a bear from Darkest Peru whose Aunt Lucy sends him to England, carrying a jar of marmalade. He was found at Paddington Station by the Brown family who named and adopted him.

“PADDINGTON” SERIES
~ A Bear Called Paddington (also see below), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1958, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1960, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
More about Paddington (also see below), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1959, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1962, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 1997.
Paddington Helps Out (also see below), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1960, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1961.
~ Paddington Abroad, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1961, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1972.
~ Paddington at Large (also see below), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1962, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1963.
~ Paddington Marches On, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1964, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1965, reprinted, Fontana (Huntington, NY), 1986.
~ Adventures of Paddington (also see below), Collins (London, England), 1965.
~ Paddington at Work (also see below), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1966, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1967, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
~ Paddington Goes to Town, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1968, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1969, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
~ Paddington Takes the Air, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1970, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1971.
~ Paddington Bear, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1972, Random House (New York, NY), 1973, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.
~ Paddington’s Garden, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1972, Random House (New York, NY), 1973, reprinted, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 1993.
~ Paddington at the Circus, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1973, Random House (New York, NY), 1974, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.
~ Paddington Goes Shopping, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1973, published as Paddington’s Lucky Day, Random House (New York, NY), 1974.
~ Paddington’s “Blue Peter” Story Book, illustrations by Ivor Wood, Collins (London, England), 1973, published as Paddington Takes to T.V., Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1974, reprinted, Houghton Mifflin, 2000.
~ Paddington Goes to School, Caedmon (New York, NY), 1974.
~ Paddington on Top, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1974, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1975, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2000.
~ (With Albert Bradley) Paddington on Stage (play; adapted from Bond’s Adventures of Paddington), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1974, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1977, acting edition, Samuel French (New York, NY), 1976.
~ Paddington at the Tower, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1975, Random House (New York, NY), 1978.
~ Paddington at the Seaside, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1975, Random House (New York, NY), 1976, published as Paddington at the Seashore, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1992.
~ Paddington Takes a Bath, Collins (London, England), 1976.
~ Paddington Goes to the Sales, Collins (London, England), 1976.
~ Paddington’s New Room, Collins (London, England), 1976.
~ Paddington at the Station, Collins (London, England), 1976.
~ The Great Big Paddington Book, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins & World (London, England), 1976.
~ Paddington’s Loose-End Book: An ABC of Things to Do, illustrations by Ivor Wood, Collins (London, England), 1976.
~ Paddington’s Party Book, illustrations by Ivor Wood, Collins (London, England), 1976.
~ Paddington’s Pop-up Book, Collins (London, England), 1977.
~ Fun and Games with Paddington, Collins & World (London, England), 1977.
~ Paddington’s Birthday Party, Collins (London, England), 1977.
~ Paddington Carpenter, Collins (London, England), 1977.
~ Paddington Conjurer, Collins (London, England), 1977.
~ Paddington Cook, Collins (London, England), 1977.
~ Paddington Golfer, Collins (London, England), 1977.
~ Paddington Hits Out, Collins (London, England), 1977.
~ Paddington Does It Himself, Collins (London, England), 1977.
~ Paddington in the Kitchen, Collins (London, England), 1977.
~ Paddington’s First Book, Collins (London, England), 1978.
~ Paddington’s Picture Book, Collins (London, England), 1978.
~ Paddington’s Play Book, Collins (London, England), 1978.
~ Paddington’s Counting Book, Collins (London, England), 1978.
~ Paddington’s Cartoon Book, illustrations by Ivor Wood, Collins (London, England), 1979.
~ Paddington Takes the Test, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1979, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1980, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
~ Paddington: A Disappearing Trick and Other Stories (anthology; also see below), Collins (London, England), 1979.
~ Paddington for Christmas (also see below), Collins (London, England), 1979.
~ Paddington Goes Out, Collins (London, England), 1980.
~ Paddington at Home, Collins (London, England), 1980.
~ Paddington and Aunt Lucy, illustrations by Barry Wilkinson, Collins (London, England), 1980.
~ Paddington in Touch, illustrations by Barry Wilkinson, Collins (London, England), 1980.
~ Paddington and the Snowbear, Collins (London, England), 1981.
~ Paddington at the Launderette, Collins (London, England), 1981.
~ Paddington’s Shopping Adventure, Collins (London, England), 1981.
~ Paddington’s Birthday Treat, Collins (London, England), 1981.
~ Paddington on Screen: The Second “Blue Peter” Story Book, illustrations by Barry Macey, Collins (London, England), 1981, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1982.
~ Paddington Has Fun, Collins (London, England), 1982.
~ Paddington Works Hard, Collins (London, England), 1982.
~ Paddington’s Storybook, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1983, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1984.
~ Paddington on the River, illustrations by Barry Wilkinson, Collins (London, England), 1983.
~ Paddington Weighs In, illustrations by Barry Wilkinson, Collins (London, England), 1983.
~ Paddington’s Suitcase (includes Paddington’s Notebook and Paddington’s Birthday Book, Collins (London, England), 1983.
~ Great Big Paddington Bear Picture Book, Pan (London, England), 1984.
~ Paddington at the Zoo, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1984, Putnam (New York, NY), 1985, revised edition with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.
~ Paddington and the Knickerbocker Rainbow, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1984, Putnam (New York, NY), 1985.
~ Paddington’s Art Exhibition, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1985, published as Paddington’s Painting Exhibition, Putnam (New York, NY), 1986.
~ Paddington at the Fair, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1985, Putnam (New York, NY), 1986, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.
~ Paddington at the Palace, illustrations by David McKee, Putnam (New York, NY), 1986, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.
~ Paddington Minds the House, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1986, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.
~ Paddington Spring Cleans, Collins (London, England), 1986, published as Paddington Cleans Up, Putnam (New York, NY), 1986.
~ The Hilarious Adventures of Paddington (boxed set; contains A Bear Called Paddington, More about Paddington, Paddington at Large, Paddington at Work, and Paddington Helps Out), Dell (New York, NY), 1986.
~ (With daughter, Karen Bond) Paddington at the Airport, illustrations by Toni Goffe, Hutchinson (London, England), 1986.
~ (With Karen Bond) Paddington Mails a Letter, illustrations by Toni Goffe, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1986, published as Paddington Bear Posts a Letter, Hutchinson (London, England), 1986.
~ (With Karen Bond) Paddington’s Clock Book, Hutchinson (London, England), 1986.
~ (With Karen Bond) Paddington’s London, Hutchinson (London, England), 1986.
~ (With Karen Bond) Paddington’s First Puzzle Book, Crocodile (New York, NY), 1987.
~ (With Karen Bond) Paddington’s Second Puzzle Book, Crocodile (New York, NY), 1987.
~ Paddington’s Busy Day, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1987, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.
~ Paddington and the Marmalade Maze, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1987, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.
~ Paddington’s ABC, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1990.
~ Paddington’s 123, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1990.
~ Paddington’s Colors, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1990.
~ Paddington’s Opposites, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1990.
~ Paddington’s Jar of Jokes, Carnival (London, England), 1992.
~ Paddington Breaks the Peace, Young Lions (London, England), 1992.
~ Paddington Does the Decorating, Young Lions (London, England), 1993.
~ Paddington’s Disappearing Trick, Young Lions (London, England), 1993.
~ Paddington’s Picnic, illustrations by Nick Ward, Young Lions (London, England), 1993.
~ Paddington Meets the Queen, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1993.
~ Paddington Rides On!, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1993.
~ Paddington’s Magical Christmas, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1993.
~ Paddington Book and Bear Box (includes plush toy), Viking (New York, NY), 1993.
~ Paddington’s First Word Book, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1993.
~ Paddington’s Things I Do, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1994.
~ Paddington’s Things I Feel, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1994.
~ Paddington’s Christmas Treat, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1997.
~ Paddington Bear and the Christmas Surprise, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1997.
~ Paddington “A Classic Collection” (collection), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, HarperCollins UK, 1998.
~ Paddington and the Tutti Frutti Rainbow, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.
~ Paddington Bear All Day, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 1998.
~ Paddington Bear and the Busy Bee Carnival, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.
~ Paddington My Scrapbook, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.
~ Paddington Treasury (collection), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, colored by Caroline Nuttall-Smith, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1999.
~ Paddington up and About, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.
~ Paddington’s Party Tricks, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.
(With Karen Jankel) Paddington Goes to Hospital, illustrations by R. W. Alley, Collins (London, England), 2001, published as Paddington Bear Goes to the Hospital, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.
~ Paddington Bear in the Garden, illustrations by R. W. Alley, Collins (London, England), 2001, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.
~ Paddington’s Grand Tour, illustrations by R. W. Alley, Collins (London, England), 2003.

Also author of fifty-six episodes of animated “Paddington” films and three half-hour “Paddington” television specials for Home Box Office.

“THURSDAY” SERIES
~ Here Comes Thursday!, illustrations by Daphne Rowles, Harrap (London, England), 1966, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1967.
~ Thursday Rides Again, illustrations by Beryl Sanders, Harrap (London, England), 1968, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1969.
~ Thursday Ahoy!, illustrations by Leslie Wood, Harrap (London, England), 1969, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1970.
~ Thursday in Paris, illustrations by Ivor Wood, Harrap (London, England), 1971.

“OLGA DA POLGA” SERIES
~ Tales of Olga da Polga (omnibus volume), illustrated by Hans Helweg, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1971, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1973.
~ Olga Meets Her Match, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1973, Hastings House (New York, NY), 1975.
~ Olga Counts Her Blessings, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.
~ Olga Makes a Friend, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.
~ Olga Makes a Wish, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.
~ Olga Makes Her Mark, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.
~ Olga Takes a Bite, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.
~ Olga’s New Home, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.
~ Olga’s Second House, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.
~ Olga’s Special Day, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.
~ Olga Carries On, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1976, Hastings House (New York, NY), 1977.
~ Olga Takes Charge, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1982, Dell (New York, NY), 1983.
~ The Complete Adventures of Olga da Polga (omnibus volume), illustrated by Hans Helweg, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1982.
~ First Big Olga da Polga Book, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Longman (Harlow, England), 1983.
~ Second Big Olga da Polga Book, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Longman (Harlow, England), 1983. ~ Olga Moves House, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Oxford University Press (Oxford, England), 2001.

“PARSLEY” SERIES
~ Parsley’s Tail, illustrations by Esor, BBC Publications (London, England), 1969.
~ Parsley’s Good Deed, illustrations by Esor, BBC Publications (London, England), 1969.
~ Parsley’s Last Stand, BBC Publications (London, England), 1970.
~ Parsley’s Problem Present, BBC Publications (London, England), 1970.
~ Parsley’s Parade [and] Parsley the Lion, Collins (London, England), 1972.
~ Parsley and the Herbs, edited by Sheila M. Lane and Marion Kemp, Ward, Lock (London, England), 1976.

Also author of The Herbs (thirteen-episode puppet series) and The Adventures of Parsley (thirty-two-episode puppet series).

MYSTERIES; FOR ADULTS
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse, Hodder (London, England), 1983, Beaufort (New York, NY), 1985.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Secret Mission, Hodder (London, England), 1984, Beaufort (New York, NY), 1986.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse on the Spot, Hodder (London, England), 1986, Beaufort (New York, NY), 1987.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse Takes the Cure, Hodder (London, England), 1987.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse Aloft, Hodder (London, England), 1989.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse Investigates, Hodder (London, England), 1990.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse Rests His Case, Hodder Headline (London, England), 1991.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse Stands Firm, Hodder Headline (London, England), 1992.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse on Location, Hodder Headline (London, England), 1992.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse Takes the Train, Hodder Headline (London, England), 1993.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse Afloat, Alison & Busby (London, England), 1998.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse on Probation, Alison & Busby (London, England), 2000.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse on Vacation, Alison & Busby (London, England), 2002.
~ Monsieur Pamplemousse Hits the Headlines, Alison & Busby (London, England), 2003.
Contributor of short stories to Strand magazine and Malice Domestic 7.

OTHER
~ (Editor) Michael Bond’s Book of Bears, Purnell (London, England), 1971.
~ The Day the Animals Went on Strike (picture book), illustrations by Jim Hodgson, American Heritage (New York, NY), 1972.
~ (Editor) Michael Bond’s Book of Mice, Purnell (London, England), 1972.
~ (Translator with Barbara von Johnson) The Motormalgamation, Studio-Vista (Eastbourne, England), 1974.
~ Windmill, illustrations by Tony Cattaneo, Studio-Vista (Eastbourne, England), 1975.
~ How to Make Flying Things (nonfiction), photographs by Peter Kibble, Studio-Vista (Eastbourne, England), 1975.
~ Mr. Cram’s Magic Bubbles, illustrations by Gioia Fiammenghi, Penguin (West Drayton, England), 1975.
~ Picnic on the River, Collins (London, England), 1980.
~ J. D. Polson and the Liberty Head Dime, illustrations by Roger Wade Walker, Mayflower (London, England), 1980.
~ J. D. Polson and the Dillogate Affair, illustrations by Roger Wade Walker, Hodder (London, England), 1981.
~ The Caravan Puppets, illustrations by Vanessa Julian-Ottie, Collins (London, England), 1983.
(With Paul Parnes) Oliver the Greedy Elephant, Methuen (London, England), 1985, Western Publishing (New York, NY), 1986.
~ (And photographer) The Pleasures of Paris (guidebook), Pavilion (London, England), 1987.
~ A Day by the Sea, illustrations by Ross Design, Young Lions (London, England), 1992.
~ Something Nasty in the Kitchen, Young Lions (London, England), 1992.
~ Bears and Forebears: A Life So Far, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.

Also author of radio and television plays for adults and children, including Simon’s Good Deed, Napoleon’s Day Out, Open House, and Paddington (various short- and full-length animated films), which have been shown in Great Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Canada, South Africa, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Italy, Ceylon, and many other countries. Contributor to British periodicals.

SOUND RECORDINGS
~ A Bear Called Paddington, Caedmon (New York, NY), 1978.
~ Paddington: A Disappearing Trick and Other Stories, Caedmon (New York, NY), 1979.
~ Paddington for Christmas, Caedmon (New York, NY), 1979.
~ Paddington Turns Detective, Caedmon (New York, NY), 1979.

Also author of audio version of Paddington’s Storybook.

Many of the “Paddington Bear” works have been adapted to videocassette, filmstrip, and cassette tape.

English author Michael Bond has delighted children all over the world with his stories of Paddington the Bear. He began his series with A Bear Called Paddington in 1958, and has continued writing for decades about the bear from Peru who lives with the Brown family. Bond’s “Paddington” projects have ranged from picture and pop-up books for younger children to activity books, and Paddington has been featured in plays as well as television series and specials. The bear’s appeal, according to critics, is his ability to get into trouble and then manage to come out of it without any major harm being done. Bond has also created such memorable children’s characters as the lovable guinea pig Olga da Polga, Thursday the mouse, Parsley the lion, and J. D. Polson the armadillo. In the early 1980s Bond also began publishing works for adults, most notably the “Monsieur Pamplemousse” mysteries. Bond was born January 13, 1926, in Newbury, Berkshire, England. He grew up in a home where he was surrounded by books, and he began to read at an early age. His mother enjoyed English mystery writers, but young Bond’s favorite books were Bulldog Drummond and The Swiss Family Robinson.

Unfortunately, Bond enjoyed reading at home more than he liked attending school. Though his family was Anglican, he went to a Catholic school, and feeling like an outsider, he often faked illnesses to avoid attending class.

Completing his schooling at the age of fourteen, Bond went to work in a lawyer’s office. Soon afterward, he responded to a newspaper job advertisement for radio work, won the position because he had handled radio sets as a hobby, and began his career at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). One of his colleagues at the BBC supplemented his income by writing short stories. This coworker inspired Bond to attempt something creative, and he submitted a cartoon to Punch. It was rejected, but the editor had written favorable comments on it, so Bond was not discouraged.

Bond took time out during the 1940s to serve in the British Armed Forces, beginning with the Royal Air Force until airsickness forced him to transfer to the British Army. While serving in Egypt, Bond wrote an adult short story and submitted it to London Opinion. To his delight, it was accepted. From that time on, he continued to write and submit stories and plays, making occasional sales.

On Christmas Eve in 1957, Bond stopped in a London store to find a present for his wife. “On one of the shelves I came across a small bear looking, I thought, very sorry for himself as he was the only one who hadn’t been sold,” Bond recalled in Something about the Author Autobiography Series. “I bought him and because we were living near Paddington station at the time, we christened him Paddington. He sat on a shelf of our one-roomed apartment for a while, and then one day when I was sitting in front of my typewriter staring at a blank sheet of paper wondering what to write, I idly tapped out the words ‘Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform. In fact, that was how he came to have such an unusual name for a bear, for Paddington was the name of the station.’ It was a simple act, and in terms of deathless prose, not exactly earth shattering, but it was to change my life considerably. . . . Without intending it, I had become a children’s author.” A Bear Called Paddington was published in 1958.

Since his first appearance on the literary scene, Paddington has “become part of the folklore of childhood,” wrote Marcus Crouch in The Nesbit Tradition: The Children’s Novel in England 1945-70. The now-world-famous bear is recognized, despite his diverse representation at the hand of a variety of illustrators, by his unkempt appearance, Wellington boots, and duffel coat. A foreigner from Peru, Paddington exhibits both innocence and a knack for trouble. “The humour of Paddington is largely visual; it is not what he is but what he does and how he does it that is funny,” observed Crouch. In the New York Times Book Review, Ellen Lewis Buell cited the bear’s “endearing combination of bearishness and boyishness” as one reason for his popularity. According to Pico Iyer in the Village Voice, “Paddington is a resolute little fellow of strong principles and few prejudices, full of resourcefulness and free of rancor: both the bear next door and something of a role model.”

With sequels such as Paddington Helps Out, Paddington Abroad, and Paddington at Work, Bond has continued to add to his creation’s popularity. Eric Hudson wrote in Children’s Book Review that “one is immensely impressed by the way each collection of stories comes up so fresh and full of humorous and highly original situations.” Bond has also adapted his Paddington stories for even younger readers in a series of picture books that include Paddington Bear and Paddington at the Circus, and he has written several Paddington activity books, some with the assistance of his daughter, Karen Bond.

In the late 1960s Bond began experimenting with other children’s characters, such as Thursday the mouse and Parsley the lion. The latter was a feature of a stop-action animation show on the BBC television network in addition to being the subject of children’s books. Bond’s most successful children’s character, after Paddington, is perhaps Olga da Polga, the guinea pig he began writing about in the early 1970s. Though Olga is restricted to the hutch her owners keep her in, she entertains herself and her animal friends by telling imaginative stories. Horn Book contributor Virginia Haviland asserted that in Olga, Bond “has drawn another beguiling creature with a distinct personality—a guinea pig whose cleverness equals that of Paddington.” Olga is featured in books such as Tales of Olga da Polga, Olga Meets Her Match, and Olga Moves House.
In the early 1980s, Bond branched out into the field of adult mystery books with the “Monsieur Pamplemousse” books. The hero of these, Monsieur Pamplemousse, is a French food inspector who solves mysteries with the aid of his dog, Pommes Frites. For the works, Bond draws on his knowledge of France, a country he enjoys visiting frequently. Sybil Steinberg, writing in Publishers Weekly, noted, “Pamplemousse and his faithful hound are an appealing pair and offer an evening of civilized entertainment.”

Despite Bond’s varied literary output, he will always be remembered for the character of Paddington. “Most critics agree . . . that to think of Michael Bond is to think of Paddington Bear,” observed Dictionary of Literary Biography contributor Charles E. Matthews. And Bond enjoys his role as a children’s author. In Something about the Author Autobiography Series, he remarked: “One of the nice things about writing for children is their total acceptance of the fantastic. Give a child a stick and a patch of wet sand and it will draw the outline of a boat and accept it as such. I did learn though, that to make fantasy work you have to believe in it yourself. If an author doesn’t believe in his inventions and his characters nobody else will. Paddington to me is, and always has been, very much alive.”

Over the years, Paddington has become something of a cottage industry. Bond’s creation has been reproduced as a stuffed animal and as a float balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and his image has appeared on a British postage stamp. In 2000 a life-sized bronze statue of the bear was unveiled in Paddington Station in London, and the official Paddington Bear Web site debuted in 2003.

Reflecting on his characters and life as a writer, Bond mused in the Something about the Author Autobiography Series, “Writing is a lonely occupation, but it’s also a selfish one. When things get bad, as they do for everyone from time to time, writers are able to shut themselves away from it, peopling the world with their characters, making them behave the way they want them to behave, saying the things they want to hear. Sometimes they take over and stubbornly refuse to do what you tell them to do, but usually they are very good. Sometimes I am Paddington walking down Windsor Gardens en route to the Portobello Road to buy his morning supply of buns, but if I don’t fancy that I can always be Monsieur Pamplemousse, sitting outside a cafe enjoying the sunshine over a baguette split down the middle and filled with ham, and a glass of red wine. I wouldn’t wish for anything nicer.”

Biographical and Critical Sources
BOOKS
~ Blount, Margaret, Animal Land, Hutchinson (London, England), 1974.
~ Children’s Literature Review, Volume 1, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1976.
~ Crouch, Marcus, The Nesbit Tradition: The Children’s Novel in England, 1945-70, Benn (London, England), 1972.
~ Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 161: British Children’s Writers since 1960, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1996.
~ St. James Guide to Children’s Writers, 5th edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1999.
~ Something about the Author Autobiography Series, Volume 3, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1986.

PERIODICALS
~ Armchair Detective, summer, 1991.
~ Booklist, December 1, 1990; September 15, 1991; December 15, 1991; September 15, 1997, Carolyn Phelan, review of Paddington Bear and the Christmas Surprise, p. 239; April, 1998, Carolyn Phelan, review of Paddington Bear All Day and Paddington Bear Goes to Market, p. 1329; May 15, 1998, Carolyn Phelan, review of Paddington Bear and the Busy Bee Carnival, pp. 1629-1630; August, 1998, Shelle Rosenfeld, review of Paddington at Large, p. 2002; January 1, 1999, Carolyn Phelan, review of Paddington Bear, p. 886; April 15, 2002, Carolyn Phelan, review of Paddington Bear in the Garden, p. 1405.
~ Books and Bookmen, February, 1985.
~ Books for Keeps, March, 1991; January, 1992.
~ Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, November, 1973, p. 38; February, 1974, p. 90.
~ Children’s Book Review, February, 1971.
~ Christian Science Monitor, November 3, 1960; May 6, 1965; May 2, 1973.
~ Contemporary Review, November, 1971; January, 1984.
~ Horn Book, February, 1961, p. 53; October, 1961, p. 443; December, 1967, p. 748; April, 1973; June, 1973; June, 1980, p. 335.
~ Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2001, review of Paddington Bear in the Garden, p. 1681.
Los Angeles Times Book Review, June 9, 1985.
~ New Yorker, December 4, 1971; December 1, 1975.
~ New York Times Book Review, August 27, 1961, p. 22; May 9, 1965, p. 24; November 9, 1969; March 1, 1987.
~ Observer (London, England), March 10, 1985.
~ Publishers Weekly, July 29, 1988; June 23, 1989; July 28, 1989; October 12, 1990, Sybil Steinberg, review of Monsieur Pamplemousse Investigates, p. 48; September 6, 1991, review of Monsieur Pamplemousse Rests His Case, p. 97; November 8, 1999, “Together for the First Time,” p. 70.
~ Saturday Review, November 9, 1968; April 17, 1971.
~ School Librarian, August, 1992.
~ School Library Journal, March, 1968, p. 127; December, 1973, p. 41; September, 1989; February, 1992; December, 1992.
~ Times Literary Supplement, November 24, 1966, p. 1087; November 12, 1970; October 22, 1971, p. 1333; November 3, 1972; December 6, 1974; October 1, 1976; September 30, 1983.
Village Voice, July 16, 1985.
~ Washington Post Book World, December 15, 1991.
~ Wilson Library Bulletin, January, 1974, p. 381.

ONLINE
Offıcial Paddington Bear Web Site, http://www.paddingtonbear.co.uk (January 11, 2005).*

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org and http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1131/Bond-Thomas-Michael-1926.html

Posted in Children story, Fables, Funny Story, Moral story, Panchatantra, Varta, Writers | Tagged: Varta, Kids, Short Story, Ancient peoples, Bear, Care, Treasure, Children, Christian, Fun, Michael Bond, Paddington Bear, Storyteller, Biography, Cartoon, Writer | Leave a Comment »

Tale of Karim’s Caps & Monkeys

Posted by kathavarta on October 7, 2008

Once upon a time there was a nice young man called Karim. He used to sell caps for a living, and roam around several villages. One day he would be in Mughalsarai, the other day people would find him in Faizabad.

It was an afternoon in summer and he was traversing the vast plains when he felt tired and wanted to have a nap. He found a nice mango tree with lots of branches and cool shade, placed his bag of caps beside himand went to sleep. Tired as he was, he was quickly fast asleep. When he woke up after a refreshing little nap, he found that there weren’t any caps in his bag!

“Oh, Allah!”, he said to himself, “Did the thieves have to find me of all people?” But then he noticed that the mango tree was full of cute monkeys wearing colourful caps!

He yelled at the monkeys and they screamed back.
He made faces at them and found the monkeys to be experts at that.
He threw a stone at them and they showered him with raw mangoes.

“Ya Allah, how do I get my caps back,” he said.

Frustrated, he took off his own cap and slammed it on the ground. And Lo, the stupid monkeys threw their caps too! Smart Karim didn’t waste a second, collected the caps and was on his way.

50 YEARS LATER….

Young Abdul, grandson of famous topiwala Karim who was also working hard at making $$$ doing his family business, was going through the same jungle.

After a long walk he was very tired and found a nice mango tree with lots of branches and cool shade. Abdul decided to rest a while and very soon was fast asleep. A few hours later, when Abdul woke up, he realised that all the caps from his bag were gone! Abdul started searching for the same and to his surprise found some monkeys sitting on mango tree wearing his caps.

Abdul was frustrated and didn’t know what to do. And then he remembered a story his grandfathers proudly used to let him.

“Yes!!!! I can fool these monkeys!!!”, said Abdul. “I’ll make them imitate me and very soon I’ll get all my caps back!”

Abdul waved at the monkeys — the Monkeys waved at Abdul
Abdul blew his nose — the Monkeys blew their noses
Abdul started dancing — the Monkeys were also dancing
Abdul pulled his ears — the Monkeys pulled their ears
Abdul raised his hands — the Monkeys raised their hands

Abdul threw his cap on the ground ……………. one of the monkeys jumped down from the tree, grab Abdul’s cap, walked upto Abdul; slapped him and said

“Do you think ONLY YOU HAD A GRANDFATHER?????”

By : Ajit Sahu, for www.whereincity.com

Posted in Children story, Funny Story, Moral story, Panchatantra, Varta | Tagged: Varta, Panchatantra, Short Story, Education, Advice, Counsel, Act, Think, Experience, Accuracy, Enlightenment, Pretend, Alert, Foolish, Monkey, Common sense, Wisdom, Wit, Cunning, Acceptance, Humour | Leave a Comment »

The Tiger and The Greedy Man

Posted by kathavarta on September 6, 2008

An old tiger lived in a forest. He was not strong. He could not hunt the animals. He starved for many days. One day he thought of a plan. He said, “I shall go to the river and take a bath. Then I shall sit on the bank. In one paw I shall hold some sacred kusa grass. In the other paw, I shall hold a gold bangle.”

He carried out his plan. Every day he sat on the bank of the river with the kusa grass in one hand and the gold bangle in the other. For some days no one came that way. The tiger was sad and hungry.

After a week a Brahmin passed that way. He was a poor and greedy man.

The tiger saw him and said, “Come here, good sir, I will give you a gold bangle. You can give it to your wife or daughter or you can sell it for a lot of money.”

The Brahmin saw the gold bangle. He thought, “The tiger has spoken kind words to me. He is very old too. He will not do me any harm.”

Then the Brahmin asked the tiger, “You are sitting on the opposite bank of the river. Is the river very deep? Can I cross it safely? How can I trust you?”

The tiger replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. I am very old. I have lost all my teeth. I bathe in the river every day and give presents to the poor. The river is not very deep. You can easily come to me and take the bangle from my hand.”

The greedy Brahmin trusted the words of the tiger. He got into the water and walked a few steps. The river was not very deep. In a few minutes he was very near the opposite bank. But suddenly his feet sank into mud. The tiger said to him, “Do not be afraid, O Brahmin. I will come and pull you out.”

Then the tiger walked slowly to him, pulled him out and ate him.

MORAL:
Greedy Is Bad.

Posted in Children story, Fables, Moral story, Panchatantra, Varta | Tagged: Varta, Story for Adult, Adult, Kids, Children story, Panchatantra, Greedy, Advice, Act, Tiger, Enlightenment, Alert, Clever, Foolish, Brahmin, Common sense, Wisdom, Children, Moral, Cheat, Attitude, Lesson | Leave a Comment »

Mousetrap

Posted by kathavarta on August 19, 2008

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. “What food might this contain?”

He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.”

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mousetrap in the house.” The pig sympathized, but said, “I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers.”

The mouse turned to the cow. She said “Wow, Mr. Mouse. I’m sorry for you, but it’s no skin off my nose.”

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house — like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. But his wife’s sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.

To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer’s wife did not get well; she died.

So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

Moral:
(1) The next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn’t concern you, — remember — when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

(2) We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

(3) Each of us is a vital thread in another person’s tapestry; our lives are woven together for a reason.

Posted in Children story, Moral story, Panchatantra, Story for Adult, Varta | Tagged: Varta, Story for Adult, Mouse, Companion, Advice, Counsel, Act, Pig, Affection, Care, Accuracy, Alert, Clever, Common sense, Wisdom, Moral, Selfish, Courage, Cow, Chicken | Leave a Comment »

The Brahmin and the Crab

Posted by kathavarta on July 17, 2008

Brahmadatta was a Brahmin boy living in a city with his old mother. One day, when he was planning to travel to another village, his mother told him not to travel alone but take someone with him. The boy said that the way to the village was safe and that he was leaving on an urgent business. He asked her not to be afraid.

Knowing that he was determined to go, the mother went to the well in the backyard and took out a crab and asked his son to keep the crab with him during his travel. The boy then put the crab in a camphor box and put that box in a vessel and set out on his journey. That being summer, the day was very hot and the Brahmin halted and took rest under a big tree.

From the hollow of the tree, a snake emerged and, attracted by the fragrance of camphor, swallowed the box containing the crab. The crab came out of the box and sliced the head of the snake and killed him. The Brahmin boy woke and found the dead snake and the camphor box. When he saw the crab coming out of the box alive, he at once realized what had happened.

He then remembered the words of his mother and thought he did well by heeding her advice that saved him from death.

Moral:
Those who feed on the rich, do not help them in distress. When their wealth is in tact, everyone hovers around the rich.
(This Panchatantra story is from Imprudence)

Posted in Children story, Hindu story, Moral story, Panchatantra, Varta | Tagged: Hindu story, India, Varta, Kids, Children story, Panchatantra, Short Story, Education, Moral story, Trust, Friend, Companion, Advice, Necessity, Think, Experience, Mother, Alert, Crab, Brahmin | Leave a Comment »

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