The Enid Blyton Society
Mary and Her Toys
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Book Details...

First edition: 1926
Publisher: Birn Brothers
Illustrator: Phyllis Chase
Category: Birn Non-Series Story Books
Genre: Family
Type: Short Story Books

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Artwork
Review by Julie Heginbotham
Whole Book


Front Cover


Back Cover
This is a lovely little story which I bought from the Enid Blyton Society Online Shop, having seen it advertised in the Society Journal, Spring 2015, number 56. The story was first published by Birn Brothers in 1926.

The Illustrations are by Phyllis Chase and I think they are so striking, very colourful and very cheerful.

The booklet has eight chapters, with lovely drawings relating to each chapter, intermingled with these lovely colourful illustrations.

The story is a simple one, but pleasurable to read. Mary, who comes across to me as an only, lonely child, is not very nice to her toys that are in the nursery. One evening the toys have a meeting and all decide that it is time to teach Mary a few hard lessons for mistreating them.

So each chapter is about how that particular toy has its 'revenge' on Mary. Maybe revenge is too strong a word to use, but each toy certainly gets its own back.

The first toy to teach Mary a lesson is the little red scooter, the next, is the Gollywog, then the kite, then a peddle car, (which I always wanted as a child but never had,) then a skipping rope and finally a ship.

The last chapter is when Mary overhears her toys speaking about how they wished she loved them, so that they could love her back, and that maybe now was time to stop being so horrid to Mary.

The toys then tell Mary that they were sorry to be so unkind to her, but only wanted to teach her that if you were rough and unkind to your toys, then you will be rough and unkind to people when you grow up, and that no one will then love you.

I had to give a small smile at these words, as Enid, the teacher, was advising her readers to be thoughtful and kind to others, by using the toys as an example.

Mary cuddles and kisses her toys and promises to be kind always and to show that she is sincere, takes all the toys to bed with her.

A simple but delightful little story, with an underlined meaning of being nice to others, and I'm pleased to add this to my collection of other Birn Brothers booklets from the Society shop.
The whole booklet from a scarce booklet that has never been reprinted.