The Christmas Book

Enid Blyton (1897-1968) was a prolific English author of children's books. Born in London, she began writing while still in school. Her first attempts at writing were rejected by publishers which just made her more determined to succeed. She trained as a teacher and in her spare time continued to write. Her first book, a collection of poems, was published in 1922. Her first series of books, "Old Thatch", began in 1934 and eventually encompassed 28 books. In the 1940's she began to churn out books sometimes three or four per year. By the 1950's she was publishing upwards of 50 books per year. In all, she wrote over 750 books which sold over 600 million copies. While critics called her writing unimaginative and lacking literary merit, this did not stop her adoring fans from scooping her books off the shelf. Even after her death, her endearing stories continue to draw the rapt attention of children everywhere. (Enid Blyton Society)

Most of Blyton's books were illustrated. Unfortunately, many of the illustrators are not yet in the public domain here in Canada. Each edition of her books frequently brought a different set of illustrations by a different illustrator. When possible, we include the illustrations from any edition where the artist is in the public domain. We have a few of her early nature books which we have chosen not to publish, as the art is integral to the book. However, most of her stories appear to be quite standalone without the art, and we bring them to you un-illustrated. Many of the first edition illustrations can be found on the Enid Blyton Society website: https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/

There are many more books waiting to be proofed, formatted, and published. If you want to help, please visit us on our companion site, pgdpcanada.net, where you can volunteer to read your favourite books!