It’s very difficult to remember my first book, after all I have spent 54 human years on the planet. There has been a lot of wear and tear, so my brain doesn’t wish to recall a lot of things. I do have an inkling though that the first proper book I probably read was The Red Story Book by Enid Blyton.
I must have been 7 or 8 years old. I don’t remember how I got the book, maybe a relative gave it or perhaps I saw it in the school library. My gut says it was the library, as studying in an Anglo-Indian school, The Frank Anthony Public School, the library period was normally about books by British authors.
I was habituated to reading comics and illustrated books since my primary school days and also won The Arabian Nights for standing first in Class IV.
After being introduced to The Red Story Book, I began collecting Enid Blyton’s books and I am so in love with her writing, that I read them again and again on the web. Her timeless appeal lies in the connection with nature and her environment. She made it so easy for children to relate to the things around them and also made them magical.
Coming back to The Red Story Book, I looked it up on the web and discovered that the first edition, published in 1946, had 24 short stories. However, the first paperback edition published in 1966 had 21 short stories (three stories had been omitted).
All the stories were originally published in a magazine that Blyton brought out for children, Sunny Stories for Little Folks.
These 24 stories were: The Magic Ice-Cream, The Little Sewing-Machine, A Surprise for Mother Hubbard, Five Naughty Lambs, Bong, the Dragon, The Wooden Horse, The Tricks of Chiddle and Winks, The Two Silly Children, The Cackling Goose, The Boy Who Was Shy, The Golliwog’s Trick, He Didn’t Think, In the Middle of the Night, The Greedy Brownie, One Good Turn Deserves Another, Dickie and the West Wind, The Grand Birthday Cake, The Naughty Little Kitten, A Real Game of Hide-and-Seek, The Pixies’ Party, The Lost Key, The Boy Next Door, The Tale of Tibbles, The Tale of Chomp.
Going by the website, publishing details are:
First edition: 1946; Publisher: Methuen; Illustrator: Eileen A. Soper; Category: Methuen Colour Books
There were three more books in the colour series: Yellow, Blue and Green.
Enid Blyton has given me a permanent love for magic, pixies, fairies, elves, and the natural world. Every time I step out, I expect the flowers and trees to greet me; if they don’t do it, I greet them. I am also on the lookout for impish pixies, lovely fairies and helpful elves. In fact, I understand her books better now.
Over the years, I got hooked to the Famous Five, Secret Seven, Adventure series. And then, I transitioned to Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. In fact, my reading dwindled for many years but I came back with the Famous Five during COVID-19.
When I visited Disneyland in Hong Kong, I jumped with joy for they were so like the characters I had been reading since childhood. I was introduced to Disney’s characters after Enid’s books.
In fact, my first attempt at short story writing was also about a dog and his owner. I am currently reading Bedtime Stories by Enid Blyton on the web and thoroughly enjoying myself, letting my imagination take over.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘BookishCafeBloghop2024’ hosted by Rakhi Jayashankar and Samata Dey Bose (Prompt: First book I read)
I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z
Read previous post: A
Queen of Treasures 
First books are always so special. You never quite grow out of the things that made you fall in love with reading in the first place.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So right, I feel like collecting all her books again now I enjoythem more at this stage.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Enid Blyton’s writings are timeless and ageless. Some libraries or bookshop in India should create a wax museum with her characters…!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awesome suggestion
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know how Enid Blyton ends up in all of our libraries and favorites. She is just there for everyone’s childhood. I do agree with Pandian – we definitely need something dedicated to her.
LikeLiked by 1 person
As a British author, I think the influence is stronger in countries with British influence, but I have not found a better writer, except Rudyard Kipling and Ruskin Bond. But both are also British!
LikeLike
It’s always pure joy to receive books as gifts. How good those days were! I remember jumping in happiness whenever I received books especially story books as a prize for any contest during school days. Golden days they were!
Niveditha Preeth
LikeLike
It’s heartening to hear how Blyton’s books have inspired not only your love for reading but also your creative endeavors, such as your first attempt at short story writing. And rediscovering the joy of reading during the COVID-19 pandemic through the adventures of the Famous Five is truly wonderful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Although Covid was a testing time for all of us, it rekindled the passion for reading for many of us. Enid Blyton’s books are timeless and I think she’s one author whose books were a part of our growing up years. I wish I had never grown up…
LikeLiked by 1 person
she makes me feel like that..imagine a planet of children!
LikeLike
I remember, when I was in primary school, I used to borrow fairy tales from the school library. So, one day my cousin came over to my place and length me a story book written by Enid Blyton. That book changed my perspective as such a little age. You wrote how her connection with the nature and her way of writing made it easy for the children to relate to things by making it magical. I can totally agree to that totally agree to that, as Enid Blyton’s works took me to a different dimension during those days.
LikeLike
True, her stories are just so fairylike.
LikeLike
definitely the books of Enid Blyton will be all of our first books. The worlds she created started of my love for magic and this genre of fantasy which I love today. The language simplicity and use of imagination attracts me even today!
LikeLiked by 1 person
while my time to read children’s book is done, I now enjoy picking them up for my kids. I make sure I get all books possible that I have read as kids. I feel like that we would be connected in our childhood with common books.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I second your thoughts. First book always hold a special place in our hearts and minds. That book marks the beginning of shaping our minds.
I have kept the copy of the first book I read. It’s pure bliss to read that old yet timeless gem again and again.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading and walking through my memory lanes and my sincere appreciation to bringing in this writeup.
LikeLiked by 1 person
i can assure you that you are not the only one who was inspired by Enid Blyton. Haven’t we all been? This was lovely, reading about Red.
LikeLike
The journey of discovering Enid Blyton’s “The Red Story Book” resonates deeply with my own childhood experiences of falling in love with reading. Blyton’s enchanting tales ignited a lifelong passion for literature, weaving magic into the mundane. This nostalgic reflection is a testament to the timeless allure of Blyton’s storytelling, fostering connections with nature and sparking imagination. It’s heartening to see how literature transcends time, bridging generations through the shared joy of reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enid Blyton has been a part of my childhood as well. Her writings transport us into altogether a different world. The red story book was also one of my favourite reads
LikeLiked by 1 person