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.
The original publications were in an unusual format, 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
staple
Staple may refer to:
*Staple food, a foodstuff that forms the basic constituent of a diet
*Staple (fastener), a small formed metal fastener
**Surgical staple
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Staple (band), a Christian post-hardcore band
** ''Stap ...
d bindings overstuck with
linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
edging.
Loved mainly by girls, this character's memory has lived on. The original books (published by
Brockhampton Press
Brockhampton Press was a British publishing company, based in Leicester.
Children's books
Originally specialising in children's books, from about 1940, Brockhampton Press published the Asterix comic book series, many of Enid Blyton's story colle ...
of
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city l ...
at a price of one
shilling
The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence o ...
) are highly collectable, perhaps because few remain in reasonable condition. The books were immensely popular in Blyton's days and eventually sold one million copies.
Books
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Mary Mouse and the Dolls' House'' (1942), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
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More Adventures of Mary Mouse'' (1943), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
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Little Mary Mouse Again'' (1944), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
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Hallo, Little Mary Mouse'' (1945), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
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Mary Mouse and Her Family'' (1946), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
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Here Comes Mary Mouse Again'' (1947), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
# ''
How Do You Do, Mary Mouse'' (1948), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
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We Do Love Mary Mouse'' (1950), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
# ''
Welcome, Mary Mouse'' (1950), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
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Hurrah for Mary Mouse'' (1951), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
# ''
A Prize for Mary Mouse'' (1951), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
# ''
Mary Mouse and Her Bicycle'' (1952), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
# ''
Mary Mouse and the Noah's Ark'' (1952), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
# ''
Mary Mouse to the Rescue'' (1954), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
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Mary Mouse in Nursery Rhyme Land'' (1955), illustrated by Olive F. Openshaw
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A Day with Mary Mouse'' (1956), illustrated by Frederick White
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Mary Mouse and the Garden Party'' (1957), illustrated by Frederick White
# ''
Mary Mouse Goes to the Fair'' (1958), illustrated by Frederick White
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Mary Mouse Has a Wonderful Idea'' (1959), illustrated by Frederick White
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Mary Mouse Goes to Sea'' (1960), illustrated by Frederick White
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Mary Mouse Goes Out for the Day'' (1961), illustrated by Frederick White
# ''
Fun with Mary Mouse
Fun is defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "Light-hearted pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement; boisterous joviality or merrymaking; entertainment".
Etymology and usage
The word ''fun'' is associated with sports, entertaining me ...
'' (1962), illustrated by R. Paul-Hoye
# ''
Mary Mouse and the Little Donkey
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also cal ...
'' (1964), illustrated by R. Paul-Hoye
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mouse, Mary
Book series introduced in 1942
Female characters in literature
Literary characters introduced in 1942
Fictional mice and rats
Enid Blyton series