Book Review: Paddington Takes The Air by Michael Bond (Paddington Bear #9)

For most people, “taking the air” is merely taking a simple stroll, but as all true Paddington admirers might expect, nothing is simple for Paddington. As usual, though, he retains his talent for turning his sticky moments into great triumph. Whether he’s attempting to tailor pants for grouchy Mr. Curry, or embarking on a thrilling career as a mystery detective, Paddington is sure to find trouble—and fun—wherever he goes.What other bear but Paddington could find himself sent home on his first day of school? Or questioned as a prime witness in court? Or taking a crash course in water-skiing? Trust Paddington to follow his nose for adventure, with a suitcase full of marmalade sandwiches in tow!

My Review:

Paddington loves to make his special toffee which is not great for his teeth and requires a visit to the dentist. In this case it is the dentist who comes off worst in their encounter. His attempts to learn about using a sewing machine are complicated by him having paws instead of hands and that is going to be a bit of a disaster for Mr Curry's trousers! Then it is off to the local gymkhana with the Brown family and a picnic made by Mrs Bird. Paddington is finding it a bit difficult to ride a pony and an error with meringues leads to an unexpected set of results in the jumping competitions, to the excitement of the crowd.

 

A car rally visit also have a few unexpected moments when Paddington accidently volunteers to take part in a wrestling match being hosted there. As Bonfire Night approaches, the poor bear becomes convinced that a man at the department store is actually a thief. It's time for Paddington to put his detective hat on and go undercover at the store by getting a job there and of course it leads to all kind of chaos. Paddington is also mistaken for a food critic after going to get a fitting for a suit but free food isn't something to be sniffed at! A rogue marmalade sandwich then causes a few problems on the dancefloor...

 

I'm so glad that I started with the Paddington series during the Covid lockdown as the adventures of this endearing little bear really cheered me up and make me laugh. What I like about them is that the books are short reads but pack plenty of adventure into them, stories that anyone of any age can enjoy. The cute illustrations are very funny and add a lot of enjoyment to the story, really bringing Paddington to life for me. I very much enjoy the humour in the books as Paddington always makes me laugh. 

 

People in the stories of course find Paddington a bit more of a challenge to be around. The dentist losing his temper was funny but I have no sympathy for Mr Curry as he always tries to take advantage of Paddington's good nature. Seriously, you'd think Mr Curry would have learned not to trust the bear with anything but I guess mean people don't change! I really enjoyed the story of Paddington on the dancefloor with that rogue marmalade sandwich!

 

Another enjoyable book in the series.

 

Read July 2020

4 stars.