I think that it’s essential to share the delight of reading – if you aren’t enjoying a book, your children probably won’t enjoy it either. I am very pleased for Paddington! It is also nice to hear that you enjoyed reading the Paddington books with your children. The excellent letter has a central fold crease and minor offsetting but is in very good condition indeed and reads: ‘Dear Mrs Valentine, How kind of you to take the trouble to write – thank you so much. Photograph is in fine condition and signed ‘To Sam, With all good wishes, Michael Bond’. Book 11: Near fine in near fine dustwrapper. At least very good in very good indeed dustwrapper which is slightly creased and has a couple of short closed tears to the top of the front panel. Book 10: Browning to the pages due to the paper stock. Book 9: Near fine in near fine, bright, clean, unfaded dustwrapper.

Book 8: Near fine in near fine, bright clean dustwrapper which has a short closed tear to the base of the rear panel. Book 7: Near fine in very good dustwrapper which is a little foxed, with a small amount of rubbing and wear to the edges and a one-inch closed tear to the front panel but is nice and bright to the spine. Book 6: Near fine in near fine, slightly rubbed but bright and clean dustwrapper. Book 5: Near fine in very good plus, slightly spine-faded, creased and rubbed dustwrapper. Book 4: Near fine in near fine, slightly creased and and rubbed dustwrapper which has a very small amount of loss to the rear panel but has none of the usual fading to the spine. Book 3: Near fine in very near fine, slightly rubbed, bright, clean dustwrapper. Book 2: Endpapers slightly foxed else a very good plus, tight, clean copy in very good plus, slightly nicked and rubbed dustwrapper which is slightly foxed and has a small amount of scuffing to the rear panel. Book 1: Neat repair to a short tear on the rear blank endpaper else a very good plus, tight, clean copy in very good plus, slightly nicked and rubbed, unfaded dustwrapper which has a few minor tape marks to the reverse. All reprint editions apart from book 10 and 11 which are first editions.

A bear called paddington first edition