I thought I’d do a search on “Enid Blyton” - turning up 2070 results. I’ve browsed through about one third of the pages now, sampling every third page to get a feel for the overall content, trends and patterns. I think I’ll make a project of this.
The first appearance is in a minor rural/regional paper, in the ‘Children’s Corner’ section of the Farmers' Advocate (Melbourne, Vic. : 1917 - 1924), Thursday 1 February 1923, page 14
THE BAD DOLLS.
My dollies are so naughty,
l'm afraid they've gone on strike;
They won't let me undress them,
But just do what they like.
They say they want a penny
To spend on Saturday,
And less 1 let them have it,
They'll not join in my play.
I can't let them behave so,
They'll never grow up right
But l know they will be sorry
When l don't kiss them good-night.
(From "Child Whispers," by Enid Blyton.)
The first real review is in the ‘Reviews of Recent Books’ on page 11 of the Brisbane Telegraph of Saturday 30 May 1925:
[VERSES FOR CHILDREN.
"Silver and Gold," by Enid Blyton; published by Messrs. Thomas Nelson and Sons, Ltd. London.
There is an art in 'writing verses for children, and Miss Enid Blyton is mistress of that art in a high degree. As a writer of poetry for children, Miss Blyton is well known. Thirty of her new poems are included in this book, and to add to the delight which, we are sure, it will afford to the little ones, it contains a coloured pastel drawing, and twenty line sketches of great delicacy by Mr. Lewis Banmer, the well-known Punch artist. The verses are not only delightful in themselves. They teach valuable lessons.]
By the 1930’s Enid Blyton’s works emerge as popular choices of material for the recitation segments of children’s Eisteddfods and School Concert and recital days - and yes all this activity made the papers in those days, especially the regionals.
A typical example from the Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 27 August 1931, page 14:
[NUNDAH EISTEDDFOD. I
The Nundah session of the Nundah Eisteddfod was presided over by Alderman. T.J.Q. Payne.
The results during the day and evening were as follows:
AFTERNOON SESSION.RECITATION, children, under 10 years. "Our Wireless" (Enid Blyton); 66 competitors…]
^^
66 girls all reciting the same piece - the poor judges! They must have been paid well
For the next 30 years, reviews, news and recommendations grew in number and volume and fulsome praise. Then in the late 50’s, a faint but discordant and querulous note started to creep in - well, you know the story from your own readings of the British press - Australia was a great emulator of whatever was new and trendy from both the UK and the USA, so the opinions being expressed by influential voices were heard and acted on by those who considered themselves on the intellectual cutting edge in this country. As my Indian friends will attest, it takes quite a while to unshackle the colonised mind.
