Milly-Molly-Mandy facts for kids

Milly-Molly-Mandy is a popular series of children's books. They were written and drawn by Joyce Lankester Brisley. The stories are about a young girl named Milly-Molly-Mandy. She always wears a special pink-and-white striped dress. The pictures in the books show her growing up. She starts around age four and goes up to age eight.

Her full name is Millicent Margaret Amanda. But that's a bit long to say every time! So, everyone calls her Milly-Molly-Mandy. Her adventures are simple, everyday things. She runs errands, goes to school, and makes gifts. She also enjoys fishing and picnics.

Milly-Molly-Mandy lives in a lovely white cottage. It has a thatched roof and is on the edge of a small village. Her parents, grandparents, aunt, and uncle all live there too. Her best friends are Billy Blunt and Little-Friend-Susan. Billy's parents own a corn shop. Susan lives in a cottage nearby. Sometimes, other friends like Jilly, Bunchy, and Jessamine join in the fun.

How the Stories Started

The Milly-Molly-Mandy stories first appeared in a newspaper. They were printed in the Christian Science Monitor. This began in 1925. The stories were later collected into a book. The first book was called Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories. It came out in 1928.

Where the Stories Take Place

The stories happen in the south east of England. It seems to be near the coast. There are chalk roads and the sea is close by. The South Downs are also mentioned.

Each book has a map inside its front cover. These maps change slightly. They show where different events in the stories happen. In one story, Milly-Molly-Mandy takes a train trip to the seaside. The pictures show white cliffs. This looks like the coast of Kent or Sussex. It is very similar to Eastbourne.

The author, Joyce Lankester Brisley, was born nearby. She was from Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex. This town is just east of Eastbourne. Both towns have train stations. Milly-Molly-Mandy's village does not have a station. She travels to a nearby town by pony and trap to catch a train. This could be like places such as Polegate or Alfriston.

The stories are set in the late 1920s. Cars were just starting to become common. But there were no telephones or household electricity. Airplanes were not usually seen either.

Meet the Characters

Milly-Molly-Mandy's Family

Milly-Molly-Mandy

Her full name is Millicent Margaret Amanda. But her family thought it was too long. She always wears a pink and white striped dress. Sometimes she wears a yellow hat. Milly-Molly-Mandy helps her family by running errands. She lives in a nice white cottage with a thatched roof.

Father

His first name is John. Father takes care of the garden. He grows vegetables for the family to eat and sell.

Mother

Her first name is Mary. But everyone calls her Polly. Mother cooks all the meals for the family. She also does all the washing.

Grandpa

He takes the vegetables to market. He uses his pony, Twinkletoes, and a cart.

Grandma

She knits socks, mittens, and warm woolly clothes for everyone. In one story, Grandma teaches Milly-Molly-Mandy to knit a tea cosy.

Uncle

His first name is Joe. Uncle keeps cows for milk. He also has chickens for eggs.

Aunty

Her first name is Alice. Aunty sews dresses and shirts for the family. She also does the sweeping and dusting.

Great Aunt Margaret

She is Grandma's sister. She came to stay for a few days in one story.

Topsy

This is Milly-Molly-Mandy's black and white cat.

Toby

This is Milly-Molly-Mandy's small black and white terrier dog.

Duckling

In the story Milly-Molly-Mandy spends a penny, she saves three pennies. She then buys a duckling with them.

Milly-Molly-Mandy's Friends

Little Friend Susan

Her full name is Susan Moggs. She is Milly-Molly-Mandy's best friend. Susan lives with her mother, father, and little sister Doris. Their cottage is near Milly-Molly-Mandy's.

Billy Blunt

He is another close friend. Milly-Molly-Mandy, Susan, and Billy often play together. Billy lives with his parents. They own a corn shop in the village.

Jessamine

She is a girl from a wealthy family. Her family often stays at The House with the Iron Railings for holidays. In one story, Jessamine and her mother take Milly-Molly-Mandy, Billy, and Susan for a drive to the Downs.

Jilly Muggins

She is another friend. Jilly lives with her Aunty, Miss Muggins. Miss Muggins owns a shop. It sells sweets, fabric, and other useful things for the village.

Adults in the Village

Mr Rudge

He is the village blacksmith. Milly-Molly-Mandy invited him to her party. He also plays cricket. In the last book, he gets married. Milly-Molly-Mandy and Little Friend Susan are his bridesmaids.

Miss Edwards

She is a teacher at Milly-Molly-Mandy's school. In one story, the headmistress, Miss Sheppard, goes away. Miss Edwards then becomes the headteacher. She moves into the school cottage. Miss Edwards asks if she can stay with Milly-Molly-Mandy's family for a few days. This is while she gets her cottage ready. Milly-Molly-Mandy worries she has to be on her best behavior. But Miss Edwards turns out to be very different outside of school. Billy Blunt and Little Friend Susan even wish she had stayed at their houses.

Other Children

Doris Moggs

She is Little Friend Susan's baby sister. Milly-Molly-Mandy helps look for a name for her. She suggests Primrose. But Mrs. Moggs had already named her Doris. Milly-Molly-Mandy crochets Doris a bonnet. This happens when Milly-Molly-Mandy gets locked in her bedroom by accident.

Bunchy

Her real name is Violet Rosemary May. In one story, Milly-Molly-Mandy rips her dress. So, Mother and Milly-Molly-Mandy go to buy new fabric. They meet Bunchy there. Bunchy is also buying fabric for a new dress. There are only two suitable fabrics. One is Milly-Molly-Mandy's pink and white stripes. The other has daisies and forget-me-nots. Both girls want the daisy fabric. But there is only enough for one dress. Milly-Molly-Mandy decides Bunchy should have it because of her name. The two girls then become friends.

The Milly-Molly-Mandy Book Series

Here are some of the books in the Milly-Molly-Mandy series:

• Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories (1928)
• More of Milly-Molly-Mandy (1929)
• Further Doings of Milly-Molly-Mandy (1932)
• Milly-Molly-Mandy Again (1948)
• Milly-Molly-Mandy & Co (1955)
• Milly-Molly-Mandy and Billy Blunt (1967)
• The Adventures of Milly-Molly-Mandy (omnibus, 1992)
• The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook (selection, 2001)