Enid Blyton and the pop-up book

[Judith Crabb]

Thanks, my memory was closer than it sometimes is! Stevenson's 'A Child's Garden of Verses' was my childhood's favourite poetry book. Yes, pop-ups are so vulnerable. Twice I delayed buying a second hand pop-up book and by the time I convinced myself that they weren't too expensive on both occasions when I returned to purchase each had been damaged and I didn't buy it. (Slow learner - it should have happened to me once only.)

[Judith Crabb]

I'm astonished. When I first went to the Cave of Books to look up Enid Blyton pop-up books, I searched for 'pop-up books' and got only the Noddy books. I visited the Cave again and typed in just the word 'pop-up', and, as well as the Noddys, to my amazement came upon four Birn pop-ups from 1930! 91 years old. The pop-ups are in the centre-spread and one of the titles seems to be lacking its pop-up. They are utterly delightful and, I imagine, rarer than those proverbial hen's teeth.

[Judith Crabb]

Doris Clare Andersen was one lucky girl, because on Dec 25 1931 her Aunt Mary gave her not one but four pop-up books and - wait for it - they were all by Enid Blyton! This morning I called in at Aussie Sue's to return some reference books I had borrowed and had the privilege of opening 'Two Ugly Ducklings', 'My Doll Angelina', 'Two Naughty Pussies' and 'Fairy Tales'. They are all complete, and, while a little renovation is called for to get all pop-ups in working order, they are a delight to hold. Doris's aunt has neatly inscribed each book but we know Doris's full name because she pencilled it on the bottom of the box the four volumes sit in. The lid of the box is missing, a pity, but the mere survival of these titles is something of a miracle and to see all four in a collection is special indeed. I have seen very few boxed set as exciting as this one.

[Katharine]

Wow, that sounds like a great gift for Doris, and fantastic that the set has survived so well.

[Anita Bensoussane]

A very special item. Aunt Mary would no doubt be delighted to know that this set of books is still enjoyed today.