Puppets paddling in a flooded room
Enid Blyton Society

Sunny Stories was a British children’s magazine published by George Newnes. Intended to appeal to both boys and girls,[1] it began as Sunny Stories for Little Folk in 1926,[a]The publisher Cassell had a long-established childrens’ magazine called Little Folks (1871–1930)[2] edited and written by Enid Blyton, although she was only credited as the editor. As it was marketed as a cheap book rather than a magazine, none of the issues were dated, giving them a longer shelf life.[2]

Sunny Stories for Little Folk began with the retellings of traditional stories, including “Robin Hood”, “Brer Rabbit” and “Gulliver in Lilliput”, but gradually Blyton began to include more of her own original work.[2] The magazine ran for 250 issues, until November 1936. Owing to Blyton’s increasing popularity during the 1930s it was relaunched as Enid Blyton’s Sunny Stories in January 1937.[3] Starting as a weekly magazine, it became fortnightly from March 1942 owing to wartime restrictions on paper.[2]

Following its renaming the magazine began to feature serialised versions of Blyton’s novels, starting with The Adventures of the Wishing Chair, which was subsequently published in book form at the end of the year. Blyton, unhappy that Newnes would only carry advertisements for the books that they themselves published,[b]By 1952 Blyton was publishing books under 24 other imprints, and so popular had Noddy alone become that Blyton had set up the Noddy Licensing Co. to deal with his merchandising.[2] ceased contributing in 1953 with issue 553. She went on to create Enid Blyton’s Magazine, in which she was free to promote not just her books but her merchandise as well, including jigsaw puzzles, toys and games.[4]

Another prolific children’s author, Malcolm SavilleLeonard Malcolm Saville (21 February 1901 – 30 June 1982) was an English author best known for the Lone Pine series of children’s books, published between 1943 and 1978. , became editor of the magazine in 1954 under its new shorter title of Sunny Stories. Saville remained as editor until 1958.[5]

Notes

Notes
a The publisher Cassell had a long-established childrens’ magazine called Little Folks (1871–1930)[2]
b By 1952 Blyton was publishing books under 24 other imprints, and so popular had Noddy alone become that Blyton had set up the Noddy Licensing Co. to deal with his merchandising.[2]

References

  1. p. 352
  2. Chapter 13
  3.  
  4.  
  5.  

Bibliography

Bigger, Stephen F. “Saville, (Leonard) Malcolm (1901–1982).” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Online, Oxford University Press, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/58999.
Enid Blyton Society. Enid Blyton’s Magazine. http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/enid-blytons-magazine.php.
Enid Blyton Society. Sunny Stories for Little Folks. http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/enid-blytons-sunny-stories.php.
Ray, Sheila. “School Stories.” International Companion Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature, edited by Peter Hunt, Routledge, 2003, pp. 345–56.
Rudd, David. “From Froebel Teacher to English Disney: The Phenomenal Success of Enid Blyton.” Popular Childrens’ Literature in Britain, edited by Julia Briggs et al., Ebook, Routledge, 2016.