An Influential Bear

You may think of Rupert Bear as simply a cuddly little childhood tale with not very much to boast about. However, the simple truth is that Rupert has changed the world. You see, among those who were greatly affected by their exposure to Rupert was none other than Sir Paul McCartney.

Now Sir Paul was so fond of Rupert, that he made a wonderful little film called, "Rupert and the Frog Song" made in 1985 featuring a rather good song. In fact, you may find a link to a copy of it somewhere on this page. However, that apart, the very imagery of the books that came out from 1920 until at least the 1960s was enough to colour the perceptions of at least one of the Beatles. That made the ideas that streamed from this incredibly influential group more exotic than would, perhaps, have been the case otherwise. Whether it was the exotic Tiger Lily and her father, with influences from Chinese culture, or the inclusive nature of Rupert's friends which made the Beatles as representatives of their generation more open to cultural influences from afar and who embraced friendships with people from other nations and cultures, I will leave you to decide.

Indeed, if you read some of these wonderful tales, you may find that the "other-world" quality to Rupert Bear has features which are a theme in English children's literature, such as Alice in Wonderland.