Mary Mouse

Mary Mouse is a fictional character "imagined" by Enid Blyton, a prolific British children's author, in the mid 20th century. Mary Mouse is a mouse exiled from her mousehole who becomes a maid at the dolls' house, employed by Sailor Doll.^[1]

The original publications were in an unusual format (15cm x 7cm softback pictorial). Due to the austerity and paper shortages of the times, during and after World War II, the first editions were cheaply made with simple colour illustration and stapled bindings overstuck with linen edging.

Loved mainly by girls, this character's memory has lived on. The original books (published by Brockhampton Book Co Ltd, Leicester, UK at a price of one shilling) are highly collectable, perhaps because few remain in reasonable condition. The books were immensely popular in Blyton's days and eventually sold in a million copies. ^[2]

Titles in the series, with year of publication and (illustrator)

• 1942 Mary Mouse and the Dolls' House (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1943 More Adventures of Mary Mouse (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1944 Little Mary Mouse Again (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1945 Hello, Little Mary Mouse (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1946 Mary Mouse and Her Family (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1947 Here Comes Mary Mouse Again (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1948 How Do You Do, Mary Mouse (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1950 We Do Love Mary Mouse (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1950 Welcome, Mary Mouse (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1951 Hurrah for Mary Mouse (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1951 A Prize for Mary Mouse (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1952 Mary Mouse and Her Bicycle (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1952 Mary Mouse and the Noah's Ark (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1954 Mary Mouse to the Rescue (Olive F Openshaw)
• 1955 Mary Mouse in Nursery Rhyme Land(Olive F Openshaw)
• 1956 A Day with Mary Mouse (Frederick White)
• 1957 Mary Mouse and the Garden Party (Frederick White)
• 1958 Mary Mouse Goes to the Fair (Frederick White)
• 1959 Mary Mouse Has a Wonderful Idea (Frederick White)
• 1960 Mary Mouse Goes to Sea (Frederick White)
• 1961 Mary Mouse Goes Out for the Day (Frederick White)
• 1962 Fun with Mary Mouse (R Paul-Hoye)
• 1964 Mary Mouse and the Little Donkey (R Paul-Hoye)

References

1. ^ British Children's Fiction in the Second World War by Owen Dudley Edwards, Edinburgh University Press, 2008
2. ^ Little Strip Books