Paddington bear creator Michael Bond dies at 91
Michael Bond, who created Paddington Bbear, holds his Commander of the Order of the British Empire after it was presented to him by Prince William at an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in central London, October 27, 2015. REUTERS/John Stillwell/Pool
LONDON — Publisher HarperCollins says Michael Bond, creator of globe-trotting teddy Paddington bear, has died at the age of 91.
The publisher says Bond died Tuesday at his home after a short illness.
Ann-Janine Murtagh, executive publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books, said the duffel-coated, Wellington boot-wearing bear “touched my own heart as a child and will live on in the hearts of future generations.”
The marmalade-loving bear who traveled from “Darkest Peru” to London’s Paddington station first appeared in “A Bear Called Paddington” in 1958. He went on to star in some 20 books and a feature film.
The books have sold some 35 million copies worldwide.
