Paddington storytelling (27/08/2011)
| Venue | ： | 3/ F, Blooming Club Corner, Causeway Bay Book Centre, The Commercial Press,9 Yee Wo St, Causeway Bay, HK |
| Speaker | ： | Mrs. Judith M. Luk Ms. Christa Tam |
| Organiser | ： | Blooming Club |
Review
Paddington, the bear in the blue duffle coat that has captured the hearts of millions of children all over the world was the centre of attention at Blooming Club on 27 August 2011. Dozens of children came to hear Mrs. Judith M. Luk tell the story of the bear that arrived at Paddington Station over half a century ago from Darkest Peru.
Many of the children in the audience knew about Paddington from the many types of merchandise that carry his image and name but they didn't know his true story. They were pleased to hear that Michael Bond, the author, walked into Selfridges, a famous department store in London, on a cold and rainy afternoon on Christmas Eve because he had no umbrella and found a lone bear sitting on the shelf. Feeling sorry for the bear, he bought it for his wife, Brenda, as a stocking filler and named it Paddington, after the station near their home in London. Little did the then BBC camera man realize that he would eventually quit his job to write stories about this bear who would bring hours and hours of reading pleasure to millions of children all over the world in over 40 languages since its first publication on 13 October 1958!
The children heard that the British icon arrived at Paddington Station as a stowaway from Darkest Peru with a battered suitcase and a label round his neck saying "Please look after this bear. Thank you". After finding him in a corner at the station, the Brown family kindly adopted him and named him after the railway station and thus his new life began in London. Right after he had joined the Brown household, he managed to transform the bathroom into a pool: he was just that kind of bear! He always got into difficult scrapes and funny situations even though he always tried so hard to get things right. In the books that follow, Paddington continues to delight children with his many adventures and mishaps in London.
His appeal to young children is timeless because he is well-mannered and well-meaning which they find comforting. As the city is preparing for the London Olympics 2012, it is expected that the iconic bear will help make his adoptive home attractive to its visitors. For anyone who is planning to visit, the latest Paddington's Guide to London gives a bear's eye view of London, for the whole family to explore.
A little girl in the audience brought her own Paddington and let him sit with our storyteller. At the end of the session, she also shared him with other members. All the children were really happy to give Paddington Bear a big hug. It was just wonderful to see how the love of the bear brought them together.
