Paddington Bear in the Garden
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 PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved