Michael Bond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Bond
|
|
|---|---|
Bond with a Paddington Bear toy
|
|
| Born |
Thomas Michael Bond
13 January 1926 Newbury, Berkshire, England
|
| Died | 27 June 2017 (aged 91) London, England
|
| Resting place | Paddington Old Cemetery |
| Occupation | Author |
| Years active | 1945–2017 |
|
Notable work
|
Paddington Bear series |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 2 |
Thomas Michael Bond (born 13 January 1926 – died 27 June 2017) was a British author. He is famous for writing the stories about Paddington Bear. Over 35 million Paddington books have been sold worldwide. The characters also appear in popular movies like Paddington and Paddington 2. They have also been in television shows. His first book came out in 1958, and his last in 2017. This means he wrote for 59 years!
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Thomas Michael Bond was born in Newbury, Berkshire, on 13 January 1926. He grew up in Reading. He loved trains, especially watching the Cornish Riviera Express at Reading railway station. His father worked as a manager for the post office.
Bond went to Presentation College in Reading. He did not enjoy his time there. He once said his parents chose the school because his mother liked the blazers. He left school at 14, even though his parents wanted him to go to university.
During World War II, he worked in a lawyer's office for a year. Then he became an engineer's assistant for the BBC. In 1943, he survived an air raid in Reading. The building he was in collapsed, but he was safe. He later joined the Royal Air Force but had to leave because of air sickness. He then served in the British Army until 1947.
Becoming a Famous Author
Michael Bond started writing in 1945 while in the Army in Cairo. He sold his first short story to a magazine. He earned seven guineas, which made him think he "wouldn't mind being a writer."
After writing plays and short stories, he became a cameraman for the BBC. He even worked on the show Blue Peter. His first book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published in 1958. This book started the famous series about Paddington Bear.
Paddington is a bear from "darkest Peru." His Aunt Lucy sends him to England with a jar of marmalade. In the first book, the Brown family finds Paddington at Paddington Station. They adopt him and name him after the station. By 1965, Bond was able to leave his BBC job to write full-time.
Paddington's adventures have sold over 35 million books. They have been published in almost twenty countries and over forty languages. These stories have inspired pop bands, race horses, plays, and movies. In 2014, a new book called Love From Paddington was published. Michael Bond even had a small role in the 2014 Paddington movie.
Bond also wrote other children's books. These include stories about a guinea pig named Olga da Polga. Olga was named after his family's pet guinea pig. He also created the animated BBC TV series The Herbs (1968). For adults, he wrote funny mystery stories about Monsieur Pamplemousse and his dog, Pommes Frites.
In 2016, after his 90th birthday, Bond wrote "Reflection on the Passing of the Years." Sir David Attenborough read this piece at a special service for Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday.
Television Work
Michael Bond wrote two short films for the BBC: Simon's Good Deed (1955) and Napoleon's Day Out (1957). He also wrote one episode for the series The World Our Stage in 1958.
His most famous TV work was creating and writing the children's shows The Herbs and The Adventures of Parsley for the BBC.
Awards and Recognition
Bond received several important awards for his writing. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997. This award was for his great work in children's literature. In 2015, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
In 2007, the University of Reading gave him an Honorary Doctor of Letters. This is a special award that honors his achievements. On 10 January 2018, a Class 800 train was named "Michael Bond / Paddington Bear" by GWR.
Later Life and Passing
Michael Bond was married twice. He had two children. He lived in London, close to Paddington Station. This station was a big inspiration for his books.
Michael Bond passed away in London on 27 June 2017, at 91 years old. The movie Paddington 2 (2017) was dedicated to his memory. He is buried in Paddington Old Cemetery. The words on his gravestone say: "Please look after this bear. Thank you."
In 2022, on a TV show called DNA Journeys, it was found that Michael Bond was related to TV presenter Kate Garraway.
Television
- 1955 Simon's Good Deed (short film)
- 1957 Napoleon's Day Out (short film)
- 1958 The World Our Stage (one episode, "The Decoration")
- 1968 The Herbs (13 episodes)
- 1970–71 The Adventures of Parsley (32 episodes)
See also
In Spanish: Michael Bond para niños
