Paddington Bear and the Busy Bee Carnival [Hardcover]

Michael Bond (Author), R. W. Alley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1998 | Age Level: 3 and up

It's carnival time! Paddington Bear and his friend Mr. Gruber join the festivities by entering the Busy Bee Adventure Trail contest--whoever finds the greatest number of objects starting with the letter "B" wins a prize. They search all along the canals of Little Venice in London where Bicycles, Boats, and Balloons abound. Things couldn't be better. Then Mr. Gruber notices a sneaky-looking boy following them,. Could he be copying their list? Luckily, Paddington has a trick or two up his sleeve. After all, his B is the most important one of all--B for bear, that is.

Paddington Bear has charmed readers for nearly forty years. Now, another generation of fans can join the beloved bear from Darkest Peru on a variety of new adventures written by author Michael Bond. R. W. Alley's vibrant illustrations celebrate the classic tradition of Paddington with a fresh, new look.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?Paddington is overwhelmed by the choices of activities at the Spring Carnival so his friend Mr. Gruber suggests the Busy Bee Adventure Trail, the object being to find as many things as possible that begin with the letter B. The bear gets right to business, but readers will see that trouble is already brewing. A young boy trailing the two is copying their list. Not surprisingly, when it's time to judge the contest there's a tie. The problem is solved when the bear finds another B, the most important one of all. Emerging readers and their parents will have the makings of a new game after they see the relish with which it's played here. Children will enjoy Bond's dry humor that will make them feel the wiser. Alley's watercolor-and-ink illustrations capture the soft colors of the spring day and the crowd's happy sense of anticipation, with deft touches that remind readers that this is not just any city, but Paddington's London.?Lisa S. Murphy, formerly at Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-6. Visiting London's "Little Venice" carnival with Mr. Gruber, Paddington Bear decides to enter a contest by listing everything he sees that begins with the letter B. Each turn of the page brings a new scene showing Paddington exploring the area and writing down things that start with B. A boy surreptitiously follows the bear and Mr. Gruber, spying on them and adding objects to his own contest list. This sneaky character adds a welcome bit of intrigue to the pictures as well as to the plot. Alley's detailed ink-and-watercolor-wash illustrations make the most of the low-key plot and offer plenty of affable characters and intriguing details. Teachers and parents will appreciate the practice on the letter B, but young children will enjoy just hanging out with Paddington for the space of this pleasant picture book. Carolyn Phelan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books; 1st edition (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060277653
• ISBN-13: 978-0060277659
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,600,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Paddington Bear and the Busy Bee Carnival, August 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Paddington Bear and the Busy Bee Carnival (Hardcover)

What could be more fun than a Carnival? Paddington decides to enter the Busy bee Adventure Trail Contest, trying to find the most objects that start with the letter "B." Children will not only be able to help read this story, but search the illustrations to find the "B" words that Paddington Bear does. This book is great to encourage children to think of their own words. Buy this one today and you will not be sorry.

5.0 out of 5 stars Another volume in this marvelous picturebook series, December 9, 2008

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Paddington Bear and the Busy Bee Carnival (Hardcover)

This series by artist R. W. Alley features delightful adaptations of Michael Bond's classic bear stories, about Paddington the Peruvian bear, and the English family that adopts him. The bright, colorful artwork is perfect: it captures the warmth and whimsy of the original series, presenting us with a little, wobbly, innocent bear who is every bit as fuzzy and lovable now as he was 'way back when. Recommended!

(Note: there are several other picturebooks in this series with artwork by R. W. Alley... all well worth looking for!) (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

5.0 out of 5 stars charming story, timelessly told, February 16, 2008

By 

GC - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paddington Bear and the Busy Bee Carnival (Hardcover)

our kids have all the paddington books and this is a great one, beautifully illustrated as ever. there is so much in it all delivered humorously: the cheat who gets his comeuppance, paddington solving the insolvable, the magic, the quiet love of an adult friend, all these are so nourishing to a child's spirit. long live paddington; may his marmalade jar ever stay full!