Paddington in Peru — HarperCollins

10/25/2024K-Gr 2—In this book, based off of the 2025 movie of the same name, Paddington Bear and his family travel to visit his aunt in Peru, only to discover that she is missing. Searching for her turns into an adventure that involves bear statues, villains, and dangers around every corner. Without seeing the movie, the story is difficult to follow. For example, the reference to a bear statue in the shop does not seem to fit into the story at all—the connection only becomes clear in the photographs toward the end of the book. Another jump in the story involves the character of Hunter, who is presented as a villain chasing Paddington and then a couple of pages later helps Paddington and saves the day. Though Hunter remains in the story, readers won't know when or how Hunter changed over to Paddington's side. The photographs featured in the book are all from the movie; they are colorful and engaging, and help readers get to know the characters. VERDICT Recommended for fans of the new film.—Sara Collins