Noddy Happy Families

Published December 29, 2010 Updated November 17, 2022

Enid Blyton’s Noddy Happy Families was published in 1955 by Sampson Low, 25 Gilbert Street, London W.1., manufactured in Great Britain.

United Kingdom Purnell Sampson Low Robert Tyndall Blyton Golly Literature Card Games Quartet
Enid Blyton's Noddy Happy Families, 1955

Enid Blyton’s Noddy Happy Families, 1955

Noddy is a character created by British children's author Enid Blyton, originally published between 1949 and 1963. Television shows based on the character have run on British television since 1955 and continue to appear to this day (see Wikipedia article).

Enid Blyton's Noddy Happy Families card game was published in 1955 by Sampson Low, 25 Gilbert Street, London W.1., manufactured in Great Britain. The illustrations were by Robert Tyndall. Some of the original characters in the Noddy stories are seen today as incorrect or even racist, and attempts have been made to re-write the stories in politically-correct terms. Thus the cards provide documentary evidence of changing attitudes and social stereotypes.

Enid Blyton's Noddy Happy Families, 1955

Above-top: Mr Plod is the Toytown policeman. He is a good friend of Noddy and thinks Toytown can't live without him. Mr. Plod is generally long-suffering towards Noddy and Noddy likes Mr. Plod and frequently goes out of his way to help him.

Enid Blyton's Noddy Happy Families, 1955

Above: Mr Tubby Bear was Noddy's next door neighbour.

Enid Blyton's Noddy Happy Families, 1955

Above: the original Noddy stories featured Golliwogs or black-faced woollen dolls. These dolls were popular in the UK at the time the stories were written, but have fallen out of favour. Mr Golly and his family in the books is the owner of the Toyland garage. He was replaced by the politically correct Mr Sparks in the TV series in the early 1980s.

Early Noddy books have become collectibles, along with other Blytons. The total number is hard to count: the Noddy Library (Sampson Low) of two dozen titles, which became the New Noddy Library when revised, was just part of a big production in the 1950s, with Big Noddy Books of larger format, and strip books. There were numerous spin-offs, such as the playing cards shown on this page.

See also:  Famous Five Card Game  Happy Families   Pekka-Peli   Wikipedia Noddy article

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By Simon Wintle

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I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.

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