Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4-7. Gardening sounds like a pastoral pastime, but when Paddington Bear is the gardener, children can count on complications and, of course, a happy ending. After climbing a ladder at a nearby building site to get a better look at his new garden plot, Paddington returns to the ground to find a pile of concrete on the spot where he had left his precious jar of marmalade. The workers are helpful, but the result is a pile of chunky, golden concrete lumps. Inspired by the materials at hand, Paddington plants a rock garden and wins a gold star. Young children who have enjoyed the previous picture books from Bond and Alley will find this mild adventure as enjoyable as the rest. Alley's endearing ink-and-watercolor illustrations offer expressive drawings in pleasing colors and plenty of diverting details. Not an essential purchase, but an amiable diversion for young Paddington fans. Carolyn Phelan.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
Paddington Bear fixes up a plot in the Brown family garden and wins first prize in the National Garden Day competition. The story, illustrated with cheerful artwork, isáhumorous, but it's unlikely that the picture book audience will be familiar with the characters from the novels. Without any background information or character development, the book relies more on brand identity than substance. From HORN BOOK Fall 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
For over four decades, generations of readers worldwide have embraced the bumbling, lovable Paddington, who hasn't changed much over the years. Here, he once again lands himself in a bit of a scrape and once again finds an affable way to get out of it. The story opens with Paddington making a list of all the splendid things in his life for which he is thankful, including the Browns' lovely garden. The adventure begins when the Browns give Paddington his own tiny plot of land to plant as he pleases. Not sure how to proceed, Paddington begins researching how best to utilize his newfound land. It isn't long before his knack for mishaps has him climbing the scaffolding of a building site. It is his signature love of homemade marmalade and the help of a friendly foreman that eventually sees Paddington out of his predicament. By creating an unusual garden Paddington finds he has yet another item to add to his already lengthy list of splendid things. Bond and Alley (Paddington Bear Goes to the Hospital, p. 654, etc.) combine their talents once again to successfully introduce Paddington to younger readers. The trimmed-down text makes this a perfect place for Alley's jovial and detailed watercolor illustrations and an amusing way to look forward to the advent of spring gardening. (Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
