Paddington Bear

Paddington Bear

Teddy bears are lots of things but most importantly, they're soft and cuddly making them the perfect companion to snuggle up with. While soft teddy bears come in a variety of sizes, they don't all have the same type of 'fur.' In fact, if it's soft teddy bears you're looking for, it's best to stick with those made of a 'velvety' type of plush as compared to the more rough and 'coarse' mohair 'fur,' mainly found on bears that take after the original created in 1902.

With so many stuffed animals in the world to choose from, none are more famous (or popular) than the stuffed bear. Some, are so loved in fact, we know them on a first name basis; Winnie, Paddington, Rupert, and Corduroy. Their real names in the animal world - Grizzly and Kodiak - are more threatening to say the least. Given bears are not the gentlest of creatures, it's odd they are responsible for providing one of our most cherished creature comforts. Psychologists suggest, however, that it is the bears size and strength which are hidden within the teddy bear which allows us to have those unexplained feelings of comfort and security. Before the bear became our favorite plush toy, before it was even Christopher Robin's bear, he was known as Teddy's bear.

U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was born in 1858 and despite being sick with asthma for most of his childhood, he became an avid outdoorsman, building up his strength through rigorous exercise. His personal and political lives were wrought with sorrow - his first wife died in 1884 after the birth of their first child and his mother died on the same day - which he masked with what was referred to as a "rough manliness." In 1900, Roosevelt ran for vice president alongside his friend and presidential candidate William McKinley. While the McKinley-Roosevelt ticket went on to win, on September 6, 1901, McKinley was assassinated, elevating Roosevelt to president.

A little over a year after Roosevelt took office, the creation of "Teddy's bear" as the plush toy was first called, took place. While in Mississippi to resolve a border dispute between the states of Mississippi and Louisiana, Roosevelt made time to go on a hunting trip for black bears. The hunting turned out not to be very successful and consequently the press reported on the president's inability to bag a black bear. Roosevelt's aids decided to trap a bear and tie it to a tree with the intent of offering it to the president as an easy kill. He refused, however, to kill the animal is such an unsportsmanlike way and because of his act of compassion, the news spread like wildfire.

Clifford Berryman, a cartoonist for the Washington Post, got wind of the Roosevelt bear 'incident' and decided to depict it in a carton panel. He was flooded with requests to draw more of the cartoon bear and in so doing, Berryman changed the image from that of a terrified adult bear to a cute and roughed up young cub, which further embellished the story. With a bear that had Mickey Mouse ears before Mickey even existed, the popularity of both the president and the little bear, soared. When the cartoon made its way to New York, it caught the attention of a Brooklyn shop owner who sold candy and other small penny items. The owner's wife also made dolls which she would sew at night and then were sold in the shop. After seeing the Berryman cartoon, owner Morris Mitchom asked his wife Rose if she could make some toy replicas of the bear. Rose did go on to make the bears using plush velvet and shoe buttons for eyes. They were aptly called "Teddy's bears" and were sold for $1.50. With the Mitchom's sale of "teddy's bears," their popularity became so overwhelming that the first teddy bear manufacturing company in the United States - The Ideal Toy and Novelty Company- went on to be founded in 1903.

Today, "Teddy's bears" are the most popular soft toy on the planet. And with good reason; soft teddy bears make the best friends, companions, and confidants, and will 'stand' beside you in both good times and bad. For every child lucky enough to have had a soft teddy bear or two, they know exactly what everyone that didn't have one, missed out on.

Copyright Shelley Vassall, 2010.

Soft Teddy Bears

Soft Teddy Bears

Paddington Bear - Paddington Goes To The Movies $10.99 Paddington Bear - Paddington Goes To The Movies

Paddington Bear - Please Look $6.99 Paddington Bear - Please Look

Paddington Bear - Complete Collection $15.99 Paddington Bear - Complete Collection

Paddington Bear: Marmalade Madness - $8.99 Paddington Bear: Marmalade Madness -

Paddington. $5.39 Author: Michael Bond.RRP: 5.99.A gorgeous little hardback edition of the classic story of the bear from Peru.Join Paddington and the Browns as they start their adventures at Paddington Station and relive the much-loved story of this adorable bear!Format: Hardback.ISBN: 9780007277070.Published: 3/3/2008Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers.Genre: Children's Books.Total Pages: 32.Free delivery by post.

The Adventures Of Paddington Bear ? A Trip To The Hospital $6.99 The Adventures Of Paddington Bear ? A Trip To The Hospital

Paddington Bear Goes to School - Fullscreen $8.99 Paddington Bear Goes to School - Fullscreen

Runaway Bunny - Paddington Bear'S First $9.99 Runaway Bunny - Paddington Bear'S First

Paddington (Unabridged) $2.99 The classic story of a much-loved bear - Paddington....

Kids Paddington Bear Costume - Paddington Bear Costumes $43.99 Kids Halloween Costumes - This Paddington Bear Costume includes the hooded tunic, pants, soft character headpiece with attached hat and the wrist tag. Toy bear not included.

Paddington Bear $70.1 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Paddington Bear is a fictional character in childrens literature. He first appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum. The polite immigrant bear from Darkest Peru, with his old hat, battered suitcase, duffle coat and love of marmalade sandwiches has become a classic character from English childrens literature. Paddington books have been translated into thirty languages across seventy titles and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. Over 265 licences, making thousands of different products across the United Kingdom, Europe, United States, Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia and South Africa all benefit from the universal recognition of Paddington Bear. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 18 Publication Date: 2010/09/07 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.04 inches

Paddington Bear - Paddington Hits The Jackpot(1976) (DVD) $7.93 Click the title for more details. Cast List: Michael Hordern Produced: 1976 Running Time: 60 min Paddington Bear - Hits The Jackpot Paddington is a stranger in a strange land with a unique way of looking at the world. Despite his best intentions, Paddington invariably finds himself in circumstances that get out of control. Episodes: - Paddington Hits The Jackpot - Paddington Hits Out - Visit To Hospital - Paddington Recommended - Fortune Telling - An Unexpected Party - Paddington In Court - Paddington Bakes A Cake - A Picnic On The River - Paddington`s Patch - In And Out Of Trouble - Paddington At The Tower DVD Extras: Paddington's puzzlers - an interactive quiz to test your knowledge of Paddington Bear. Meeting Paddington & Pals - a biography of several characters from the series.

Paddington Bear - The Whole Collection [Limited Edition] $19.99 Paddington Bear - The Whole Collection [Limited Edition]

A Bear Called Paddington. $11.99 Author: Michael Bond.RRP: 14.99.Celebrate Paddington's 50th Anniversary with this exquisite commemorative edition.The Browns first met Paddington on a railway station - Paddington station, in fact.The Browns soon find that Paddington is a very unusual bear. Ordinary things - like having a bath, or going to the seaside become quite extraordinaryFormat: Hardback.ISBN: 9780007261963.Published: 1/10/2008Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers.Genre: Children's Books.Total Pages:.Free delivery by post.

A Bear Called Paddington (Unabridged) $6.99 The Browns first met Paddington on a railway station - Paddington station, in fact. He had travelled all the way from Darkest Peru with only a jar of marmalade, a suitcase and his hat....

A Bear Called Paddington (Hardcover) $24.14 While in London`s Paddington Station, the Brown family discovers a stuffed bear with a sign around his neck reading "Please look after this bear. Thank you." From that moment on, the Browns` lives are changed forever by the well-intentioned Paddington`s tendency to get into all manner of mischief. This is the first in a series of books chronicling the adventures of this lovable bear from darkest Peru.

Paddington Bear in the Garden $23.75 There is nothing that Paddington Bear loves better than living with the Browns...except maybe marmalade! But now Mr. and Mrs. Brown have given him something else to love at number thirty-two Windsor Gardens -- his very own garden. Paddington sets to work in an attempt to create the most interesting garden he can. In typical Paddington style, hapless mischief leads to blind luck, and his garden turns out to be a most unique site indeed!Paddington Bear has charmed readers for more than forty years. Now another generation of fans can Join the beloved bear from Darkest Peru on a variety of adventures written by Michael Bond and illustrated by artist R. W. Alley

Paddington Goes to the Movies - Fullscreen $8.99 Join in the fun and excitement when Paddington Bear goes to the movies. ~ Rovi

A Bear Called Paddington $25.12 While in London's Paddington Station, the Brown family discovers a stuffed bear with a sign around his neck reading Please look after this bear. Thank you. From that moment on, the Browns' lives are changed forever by the well-intentioned Paddington's tendency to get into all manner of mischief. This is the first in a series of books chronicling the adventures of this lovable bear from darkest Peru.

Paddington at Large $14.38 Despite his many attempts to help his friends and neighbors, Paddington Bear manages to cause trouble wherever he goes. Illustrated with occasional b&w drawings.

Paddington Bear - Alphabet Treasure Hunt(1997) (DVD) $6.43 Paddington Bear follows the trail in the 'Alphabet Treasure Hunt'. A lively and amusing introduction to letters for pre-school children. Cast List: Paddington Bear Produced: 1997 Running Time: 30 min

Paddington Bear: The Complete Classic Series (DVD) $24.67 Featuring 56 episodes of the stop-motion classic PADDINGTON BEAR, this collection is based on the internationally renowned children`s book series from UK author Michael Bond, and follows a loveable teddy bear through a series of wacky adventures. Also featured are three, 30-minute PADDINGTON BEAR specials: "Paddington Birthday Bonanza", "Paddington Goes to School", and "Paddington Goes to the Movies".

Paddington Bear - Paddington Goes To The Movies (DVD) $5.43 Dressed in his characteristic duffle coat and shapeless hat, Paddington Bear has been capturing the imagination of children and adults around the world for generations.  This fantastic double feature DVD includes two classic Paddington specials, previously unreleased on DVD in the UK. Running Time: 75 min Details: Special Features $(document).ready(function() $('#ctl00_ctl00_mainContent_MainContent_ctlAtAGlance_lnkDetails').click(function(e) e.preventDefault(); displayContainer(); displayLoader('getting details...'); getFile('/searchandbrowse/dvddetails.aspx?id=194042', displayDetails); );); function displayDetails(msg) clearLoader(); setMessagecontent(msg); $('#' + containerID).center();

Paddington at the Palace. $5.39 Author: Michael Bond.RRP: 5.99.New cover reissue of this funny picture book about Paddington, the beloved, classic bear from darkest Peru.When Mr Gruber takes Paddington to Buckingham Palace to watch the Changing of the Guard, there are so many people in the way he can't see a thing.But a mysterious someone 'on high' comes to his rescue! Here comes Paddington, and this time he is enjoying a day out in London.Format: Paperback.ISBN: 9780007104406.Published: 5/2/2001Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers.Genre: Children's Books.Total Pages: 24.Free delivery by post.

Paddington Bear Complete Collection - Special Union Jack Edition $19.99 Paddington Bear Complete Collection - Special Union Jack Edition

Paddington Bear: Comp Classic Series (3 Disc) - Box $12.99 Paddington Bear: Comp Classic Series (3 Disc) - Box

Paddington at Work. $5.39 Author: Michael Bond.RRP: 5.99.The irresistible Paddington Bear, who was found on Paddington station, returns in this reissued novel, with a brand new cover design.Paddington has a knack for 'smelling out things', and his sharp nose, supported by marmalade sandwiches, leads him into many adventures.Whether it's lending a paw to a famous Russian ballet dancer, or serving baked elastic, this unforgettable bear is as trouble-prone and funny as ever!Format: Paperback.ISBN: 9780006753674.Published: 7/9/1998Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers.Genre: Children's Books.Total Pages: 144.Free delivery by post.