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Noddy #18
Noddy Goes to Sea
With revised illustrations, Enid Blyton's "Noddy Library series" has been updated to reflect today's non-sexist and multi-cultural society. These publications tie in with a television series.
62 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
About the author
Enid Blyton
5,266 books6,467 followersSee also:
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 19, 2023
Noddy Goes to Sea is a feel-good adventure story for tiny children. It is the 18th out of 24 books in the series of books about everyone’s favourite little wooden boy, with the nodding head, and the blue hat with a bell on it. This particular story was originally published in 1959.
There are seven chapters in this story, which I shall tell you now. It all starts one Monday morning, washday, when Noddy gets out his wash-tub and fetches his dirty laundry. (Even though there were plenty of washing machines when this story was written, Noddy always behaves like an old-fashioned little boy. Many of Enid Blyton stories seem set in much earlier periods, and some even include characters from ancient times.) It is just the right sort of day for washing because it’s sunny with plenty of wind and the Noddy starts to wash his dirty vest vigorously. He has the big tub out, with plenty of soap-suds, and he even uses a washing board. He sings as he rubs and scrubs, because he loves making up little tunes (and he’s very good at it).
Noddy rushes off to hang the clothes on the line and sees his neighbour, Mrs. Tubby Bear, who also happens to be pegging out her freshly washed clothes. She stops awhile to enjoy listening to Noddy sing. Noddy has a break with a cup of cocoa, and then decides to clean his car too. Meanwhile Mrs. Tubby Bear goes off to the shops and as Noddy washes his car, he is surprised to hear a splashing sound from next door.
Anyone who has read an earlier Noddy book entitled “Noddy and Tessie Bear” may know that Mr. and Mrs. Tubby Bear’s son, “Tubby Bear” (junior) is a very naughty bear indeed. Sure enough Noddy is horrified to see that Tubby has hold of a hose and is spraying his mother’s washing!
“Stop that at once!” shouts Noddy, but then Tubby turns round — and starts watering Noddy’s own washing and even Noddy himself! He thinks it’s great fun, but Noddy soon gets his own back and turns his hose on Tubby. When Mr. Plod the policeman arrives and sees what’s happening ... well you can imagine what happens next! Poor Noddy panics, jumping into his car and speeding off. But Miss Fluffy Cat has seen the whole thing, and so she explains to Mr. Plod that it was young Tubby who had started it all. Tubby feels very hard done by, and he runs indoors crying and threatening to run away to sea.
When Noddy gets home, he learns how much trouble Tubby has been in; how he refused to say he was sorry and even threatened to run away! Noddy said Tubby would never do anything like that. But surprise surprise. In the middle of the night a small figure creeps away with a bag and disappears into the night, leaving a note saying:
“Nobody loves me so I've run away to sea. TUBBY.”
How dreadful! Mr. Tubby Bear tells Noddy that he thinks Tubby may have gone down the river to where the ships are anchored. Now brave Noddy knows what to do, and he shoots off in his car to see if he can find the young scamp. He inadvertently picks up the Bumpy-Dog on the way — Bumpy -dog and his owner, Tessie Bear, had been walking by, and Bumpy-Dog raced after Noddy’s car and jumped in beside him because he loves Noddy so much. Noddy isn’t really very keen but hasn’t the heart to turf him out. When they arrive at the jetty, Noddy spots Tubby Bear on the deck of a ship. He calls out to Tubby, and then dashes onto the boat — closely followed by the Bumpy-Dog who jumps into the water after him. But then Noddy's yellow car, keen to not be left behind, also follows them, rolling forwards and falling off the jetty. It’s quite a kerfuffle! Noddy shrieks and dances about on deck:
“Stop the ship. Pick up my car. It will drown!”
The Bumpy-Dog scrambles into Noddy’s yellow car which is parping loudly in distress, and a couple of sailors come to their rescue. (You can see how they haul up the Bumpy-Dog with a rope and a piece of wood on the picture on the front cover of the book.) Then they lasso the car and tow it behind in the wake of the ship. Meanwhile a loud and impressive-looking man — the Captain — has arrived. He disapproves of all the commotion, orders Tubby to work as a deck-hand, and tells Noddy he must work as a cabin-boy, cleaning the Captain’s quarters, bringing him meals and taking messages. He finds Noddy’s nodding head very irritating, so poor Noddy tried his very best to keep it still.
Noddy is issued with a sailor-suit as his cabin-boy’s uniform, and is allowed to keep his trade-mark hat on, and Tubby is sent away to scrub the deck. Noddy does his job very well indeed, and the Captain is pleased at how spick and span his quarters are looking. Noddy even makes up a song which starts like this:
“I'm off on a trip
In a big, big ship
Yo-ho for a life at sea ...”
and that night up on the deck Noddy sings it again to the admiring sailors, and they accompany him; one on a concertina, one on a guitar and one on a harmonica. The Bumpy-Dog joins in too. At bedtime they all have hammocks, which Noddy finds rather awkward to sleep in epecially when the Bumpy-Dog jumps in to join him. Tubby is terribly homesick and feels very guilty, crying for his mother — whyever had he run away? Why had he been so silly and unkind?
There is an overnight storm; the waves rise high, and the ship rolls — and Tubby is very seasick. Noddy and the sailors are still singing away as they watch Noddy’s car being towed along in the water behind the ship. The Bumpy-Dog has fallen overboard a couple of times, but always joins in the action enthusiastically.
One day though, Noddy sees someone sitting in his car! How can that be? It looks like a fairy doll from the top of a Christmas tree but a sailor tells him it is a mermaid. Noddy bravely dives in to introduce himself, and swims out to his car. The mermaid is rather timid and jumps out, but then lots of little heads appear, and soon there are several mermaids and mermen bobbing around the car. Feeling a bit braver, they all decide to jump in the car with him.
When the wind starts to get up, the ship begins to move faster, and all the merfolk become very excited. Now they know what it feels like to ride in a car! Then the Captain’s orders blare out and Noddy has to rejoin the crew. But one grateful little mermaid hangs a lovely pearl necklace round his neck, and Noddy immediately thinks of someone back in Toy Village who would love this. Waving goodbye to the little merfolk, Noddy returns to the ship.
The next morning they reach “Shell Island” and are able to drag Noddy’s car ashore at last. They leave it to dry out a bit in the hot sun, and then the Bumpy-Dog pulls it to the nearest petrol station to be filled up. Tubby has learned his lesson by now, and decides to collect some shells to give to his mother, to say he’s sorry, and so that she can make a nice border around her garden. Noddy thinks this is a great idea, and he starts collecting some too, for Big-Ears and Mr. Plod the policeman, while the Bumpy-Dog stays and guards the car. Noddy cleans up his car properly, and proudly takes the Captain for a ride around the island, singing his songs on request. He talks about all his friends back in Toy Village, and the Captain thinks that he’d like to meet them —which Noddy thinks is a lovely idea.
After all the cargo has been delivered, the ship turns around and they voyage home on a calm sea. Eventually the ship docks once more at the little jetty in Toyland, where Noddy’s car, now safe and dried out on board, is unloaded. Noddy can’t wait to get back home to his village to see all his friends. Even better, the Captain gives him a bag of money for working so hard (and Tubby gets a little bag too). Noddy has all the shells he collected, and, of course, the beautiful pearl necklace as well. Noddy is very happy, even though his old clothes feel a bit funny to him now he’s got used to long trousers. He, Tubby and the Bumpy-Dog all wave goodbye to their new sailor friends, and excitedly set off on the drive home.
The first person they bump into back in Toy Village is a very surprised Mr. Plod, who tells them sternly how sad and afraid all their friends had been. People were worried that Noddy and Tubby-Bear might have gone forever. It all gets sorted out eventually though, and when the trio arrive back home, Mr. and Mrs. Tubby Bear are overjoyed to see Tubby. There are lots of tears and bear-hugs. Noddy is so pleased to see his own cosy little House-For-One, which he thinks is even nicer and cleaner than he had expected. Then the Bumpy-Dog’s welcoming barks announce the arrival of his good friends, Big-Ears and Tessie Bear at the gate. There are lots more hugs, and tears of joy. Noddy’s bell jingles loudly with all the excitement. It turns out that it was Tessie who had kept Noddy’s house so well cared for, and of course the pearl necklace is for her. Big-Ears gets his present of shells, and both of them are very pleased indeed. It is time to plan a party — a big one to celebrate Noddy’s homecoming.
As the final chapter ends we see flags and balloons and a long table piled high with food. It is a street party and even the ship’s captain can attend, because they are in port for a week. He tells everyone what a fine cabin boy Noddy was and everyone gives three cheers for the three adventurers — Noddy, Tubby, and the Bumpy-Dog. Noddy is called upon to make a speech, but declines:
“I can't make speeches, but I've just thought of a new song ... I'll sing it for you.”
And he does. Our final image is of Noddy at his very best, standing on a chair and singing his heart out to all the villagers who have given him such a lovely welcome home.
This is a charming and action-packed story to read to little ones. It is astonishing that although it is now over fifty years old, the language and ideas have not dated. Noddy has an unexpected adventure, proves himself to be hard-working and loyal, does somebody a good turn and helps out, lifting everyone’s spirits, wherever he can. The illustrations are a delight, by Peter Wienk this time, but very much based on Beck’s original designs.
There are seven chapters in this story, which I shall tell you now. It all starts one Monday morning, washday, when Noddy gets out his wash-tub and fetches his dirty laundry. (Even though there were plenty of washing machines when this story was written, Noddy always behaves like an old-fashioned little boy. Many of Enid Blyton stories seem set in much earlier periods, and some even include characters from ancient times.) It is just the right sort of day for washing because it’s sunny with plenty of wind and the Noddy starts to wash his dirty vest vigorously. He has the big tub out, with plenty of soap-suds, and he even uses a washing board. He sings as he rubs and scrubs, because he loves making up little tunes (and he’s very good at it).
Noddy rushes off to hang the clothes on the line and sees his neighbour, Mrs. Tubby Bear, who also happens to be pegging out her freshly washed clothes. She stops awhile to enjoy listening to Noddy sing. Noddy has a break with a cup of cocoa, and then decides to clean his car too. Meanwhile Mrs. Tubby Bear goes off to the shops and as Noddy washes his car, he is surprised to hear a splashing sound from next door.
Anyone who has read an earlier Noddy book entitled “Noddy and Tessie Bear” may know that Mr. and Mrs. Tubby Bear’s son, “Tubby Bear” (junior) is a very naughty bear indeed. Sure enough Noddy is horrified to see that Tubby has hold of a hose and is spraying his mother’s washing!
“Stop that at once!” shouts Noddy, but then Tubby turns round — and starts watering Noddy’s own washing and even Noddy himself! He thinks it’s great fun, but Noddy soon gets his own back and turns his hose on Tubby. When Mr. Plod the policeman arrives and sees what’s happening ... well you can imagine what happens next! Poor Noddy panics, jumping into his car and speeding off. But Miss Fluffy Cat has seen the whole thing, and so she explains to Mr. Plod that it was young Tubby who had started it all. Tubby feels very hard done by, and he runs indoors crying and threatening to run away to sea.
When Noddy gets home, he learns how much trouble Tubby has been in; how he refused to say he was sorry and even threatened to run away! Noddy said Tubby would never do anything like that. But surprise surprise. In the middle of the night a small figure creeps away with a bag and disappears into the night, leaving a note saying:
“Nobody loves me so I've run away to sea. TUBBY.”
How dreadful! Mr. Tubby Bear tells Noddy that he thinks Tubby may have gone down the river to where the ships are anchored. Now brave Noddy knows what to do, and he shoots off in his car to see if he can find the young scamp. He inadvertently picks up the Bumpy-Dog on the way — Bumpy -dog and his owner, Tessie Bear, had been walking by, and Bumpy-Dog raced after Noddy’s car and jumped in beside him because he loves Noddy so much. Noddy isn’t really very keen but hasn’t the heart to turf him out. When they arrive at the jetty, Noddy spots Tubby Bear on the deck of a ship. He calls out to Tubby, and then dashes onto the boat — closely followed by the Bumpy-Dog who jumps into the water after him. But then Noddy's yellow car, keen to not be left behind, also follows them, rolling forwards and falling off the jetty. It’s quite a kerfuffle! Noddy shrieks and dances about on deck:
“Stop the ship. Pick up my car. It will drown!”
The Bumpy-Dog scrambles into Noddy’s yellow car which is parping loudly in distress, and a couple of sailors come to their rescue. (You can see how they haul up the Bumpy-Dog with a rope and a piece of wood on the picture on the front cover of the book.) Then they lasso the car and tow it behind in the wake of the ship. Meanwhile a loud and impressive-looking man — the Captain — has arrived. He disapproves of all the commotion, orders Tubby to work as a deck-hand, and tells Noddy he must work as a cabin-boy, cleaning the Captain’s quarters, bringing him meals and taking messages. He finds Noddy’s nodding head very irritating, so poor Noddy tried his very best to keep it still.
Noddy is issued with a sailor-suit as his cabin-boy’s uniform, and is allowed to keep his trade-mark hat on, and Tubby is sent away to scrub the deck. Noddy does his job very well indeed, and the Captain is pleased at how spick and span his quarters are looking. Noddy even makes up a song which starts like this:
“I'm off on a trip
In a big, big ship
Yo-ho for a life at sea ...”
and that night up on the deck Noddy sings it again to the admiring sailors, and they accompany him; one on a concertina, one on a guitar and one on a harmonica. The Bumpy-Dog joins in too. At bedtime they all have hammocks, which Noddy finds rather awkward to sleep in epecially when the Bumpy-Dog jumps in to join him. Tubby is terribly homesick and feels very guilty, crying for his mother — whyever had he run away? Why had he been so silly and unkind?
There is an overnight storm; the waves rise high, and the ship rolls — and Tubby is very seasick. Noddy and the sailors are still singing away as they watch Noddy’s car being towed along in the water behind the ship. The Bumpy-Dog has fallen overboard a couple of times, but always joins in the action enthusiastically.
One day though, Noddy sees someone sitting in his car! How can that be? It looks like a fairy doll from the top of a Christmas tree but a sailor tells him it is a mermaid. Noddy bravely dives in to introduce himself, and swims out to his car. The mermaid is rather timid and jumps out, but then lots of little heads appear, and soon there are several mermaids and mermen bobbing around the car. Feeling a bit braver, they all decide to jump in the car with him.
When the wind starts to get up, the ship begins to move faster, and all the merfolk become very excited. Now they know what it feels like to ride in a car! Then the Captain’s orders blare out and Noddy has to rejoin the crew. But one grateful little mermaid hangs a lovely pearl necklace round his neck, and Noddy immediately thinks of someone back in Toy Village who would love this. Waving goodbye to the little merfolk, Noddy returns to the ship.
The next morning they reach “Shell Island” and are able to drag Noddy’s car ashore at last. They leave it to dry out a bit in the hot sun, and then the Bumpy-Dog pulls it to the nearest petrol station to be filled up. Tubby has learned his lesson by now, and decides to collect some shells to give to his mother, to say he’s sorry, and so that she can make a nice border around her garden. Noddy thinks this is a great idea, and he starts collecting some too, for Big-Ears and Mr. Plod the policeman, while the Bumpy-Dog stays and guards the car. Noddy cleans up his car properly, and proudly takes the Captain for a ride around the island, singing his songs on request. He talks about all his friends back in Toy Village, and the Captain thinks that he’d like to meet them —which Noddy thinks is a lovely idea.
After all the cargo has been delivered, the ship turns around and they voyage home on a calm sea. Eventually the ship docks once more at the little jetty in Toyland, where Noddy’s car, now safe and dried out on board, is unloaded. Noddy can’t wait to get back home to his village to see all his friends. Even better, the Captain gives him a bag of money for working so hard (and Tubby gets a little bag too). Noddy has all the shells he collected, and, of course, the beautiful pearl necklace as well. Noddy is very happy, even though his old clothes feel a bit funny to him now he’s got used to long trousers. He, Tubby and the Bumpy-Dog all wave goodbye to their new sailor friends, and excitedly set off on the drive home.
The first person they bump into back in Toy Village is a very surprised Mr. Plod, who tells them sternly how sad and afraid all their friends had been. People were worried that Noddy and Tubby-Bear might have gone forever. It all gets sorted out eventually though, and when the trio arrive back home, Mr. and Mrs. Tubby Bear are overjoyed to see Tubby. There are lots of tears and bear-hugs. Noddy is so pleased to see his own cosy little House-For-One, which he thinks is even nicer and cleaner than he had expected. Then the Bumpy-Dog’s welcoming barks announce the arrival of his good friends, Big-Ears and Tessie Bear at the gate. There are lots more hugs, and tears of joy. Noddy’s bell jingles loudly with all the excitement. It turns out that it was Tessie who had kept Noddy’s house so well cared for, and of course the pearl necklace is for her. Big-Ears gets his present of shells, and both of them are very pleased indeed. It is time to plan a party — a big one to celebrate Noddy’s homecoming.
As the final chapter ends we see flags and balloons and a long table piled high with food. It is a street party and even the ship’s captain can attend, because they are in port for a week. He tells everyone what a fine cabin boy Noddy was and everyone gives three cheers for the three adventurers — Noddy, Tubby, and the Bumpy-Dog. Noddy is called upon to make a speech, but declines:
“I can't make speeches, but I've just thought of a new song ... I'll sing it for you.”
And he does. Our final image is of Noddy at his very best, standing on a chair and singing his heart out to all the villagers who have given him such a lovely welcome home.
This is a charming and action-packed story to read to little ones. It is astonishing that although it is now over fifty years old, the language and ideas have not dated. Noddy has an unexpected adventure, proves himself to be hard-working and loyal, does somebody a good turn and helps out, lifting everyone’s spirits, wherever he can. The illustrations are a delight, by Peter Wienk this time, but very much based on Beck’s original designs.
February 17, 2021
One of my childhood favorites, the Noddy series has become the favorite book of my 3.5 year old granddaughter. I will soon be able to read it with my eyes closed.
November 7, 2021
What an adventure for Noddy. It was nice to read about Noddy with Bumpy-Dog and Tubby-Bear instead of Big-Ears or Tessie. It made for a refreshing read.
August 18, 2022
I might have liked this as a child, especially because of the art, but talking toys were never my favorites. (This book has a golliwog.)
Read
January 16, 2017In this adventure little Tubby Bear throws a fit and runs away from his parents in the midst of what are probably growing pains, although, he usually always has a bratty attitude and considering they are toys, may not age the same way we do. Noddy pledges to rescue him and bring him back, getting some assistance from their bumpy dog. Tubby joins a crew of sailors and so does Noddy after tracking him down. Unfortunately they have to work some before the ship sails from Shell Island back to Toyland, and so some hilarity ensues. Tubby doesn't want to work and ends up quitting, a protest, while Noddy does all the special chores for the captain because of his car, and then they go back home, Tubby to his parents once again. A gigantic party and feast is thrown in celebration. In this one we learn that the car can swim.
September 12, 2018
I had a bunch of Noddy books even before I could read. My mom would read them to me and there was a phase where I wouldn’t eat until my mom read out a Noddy Book or so I am told. There were a couple of books that I knew by heart and would pretend to read out from them.
Noddy is a fun pal to have as a child.
Noddy is a fun pal to have as a child.
January 4, 2017
Every year I start with Children's books, to "train myself" (having a Grand Daughter who is almost one year old).
In pursuit of Little Bear who had run away from home, Noddy finds himself aboard a ship... He works for the Captain and manages to get yet new friends. In the end, all manage to go home and the story ends quite well!
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon 4 January 2017
In pursuit of Little Bear who had run away from home, Noddy finds himself aboard a ship... He works for the Captain and manages to get yet new friends. In the end, all manage to go home and the story ends quite well!
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon 4 January 2017
November 8, 2010
Gripping! Character driven, and inorganic plot.
April 5, 2015
My son loved it. Nice nostalgia for me
November 7, 2021
What an adventure for Noddy. It was nice to read about Noddy with Bumpy-Dog and Tubby-Bear instead of Big-Ears or Tessie. It made for a refreshing read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews