“PLEASE LOOK AFTER THIS BEAR”: A BEAR CALLED PADDINGTON, FIRST EDITION, WONDERFULLY INSCRIBED BY MICHAEL BOND, A STUNNING COPY
BOND, Michael. A Bear Called Paddington. London: Collins, 1958. Octavo, original rose cloth, original dust jacket. Housed in a custom clamshell box.
Scarce first edition of readers’ whimsical introduction to “a very rare sort of bear” from the heart of darkest Peru, inscribed and signed by the author on title page, “Please look after this bear.With all good wishes, Michael Bond.” An exceptionally fine inscribed copy in the original dust jacket.
“Ideal fare for young children” (Eyre, 70). “Paddington’s appeal came not only from the hilarious situations and mishaps in which he found himself… but also from Peggy Fortnum’s pen-and-ink sketches, which capture Paddington’s bewitching charm and combination ‘little boy/small bear’ character… Bond’s books recognize the everyday worries of small, accident-prone children and treat their fears with compassion, wit, and laughter” (Silvey, 70-71). Connolly, 60.
A fine inscribed copy of a charming and very scarce modern children’s classic.