Noddy (character) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Noddy
Noddy character
Noddy and Mr. Plod in Noddy's car, as depicted in the 2000s TV production Make Way for Noddy.
First appearance	Noddy Goes to Toyland
Created by	Enid Blyton
Voiced by	Denise Bryer (1955-1969; The Adventures Of Noddy and "His Master's Voice") Susan Sheridan (1992-2000; Noddy's Toyland Adventures) Catherine Disher (1998-2000) Edward Chun (2002-2003; UK version) David A. Kaye (2005-2007; US version) Teresa Gallagher (2009) Louis Ashbourne Serkis (2016-2020; UK version) Valin Shinyei (2016-2020; US version) Brigitte Lecordier (1992-ongoing; France,
Information
Gender	male

Noddy is a famous character from children's stories. He was created by the English author Enid Blyton. The first books about Noddy were published between 1949 and 1963. A Dutch artist named Harmsen van der Beek drew the pictures for Noddy's stories until 1953. After he passed away, Peter Wienk continued the artwork. Noddy has also been in many TV shows in Britain since 1955.

Who is Noddy?

The very first Noddy book tells us how he came to be. Noddy was made by a woodcarver in a toy shop. But he got scared and ran away when the woodcarver started making a wooden lion.

Noddy wandered through the woods all alone. He had no clothes, no money, and no home. Then he met Big Ears, a kind gnome. Big Ears decided Noddy was a toy and took him to live in Toyland. He gave Noddy clothes and a house.

At first, the other toys in Toyland weren't sure if Noddy was really a toy. They even put him on trial! But Noddy was finally declared a toy. He also had to prove he was a good toy. A doll told the court that Noddy had saved her little girl from a lion. So, Noddy was allowed to stay in Toyland.

Noddy got his famous car in the second book. He received it after helping to solve a mystery in Toyland.

Noddy's Car and Friends

You can always hear Noddy coming because of his car's "Parp Parp" horn. His blue hat also has a bell that jingles. He often uses his car to drive all around Toyland. Noddy sometimes uses his car as a taxi to help other toys.

If his taxi business isn't doing well, or if he needs help, Noddy asks Big Ears. Big Ears is always ready to help him out. Sometimes, Noddy will let people make his head nod. He does this in exchange for small things, like his morning milk.

Noddy is a kind and honest character. But he often gets into trouble. This can happen because he misunderstands things. Or, it might be because naughty goblins like Sly or Gobbo play tricks on him. Noddy is very childlike and can get confused easily. For example, when building his house, he thought they should build the roof first in case it rained! As the stories go on, Noddy becomes wiser. But he always keeps his charming and innocent nature.

Noddy's Best Friends

Noddy's closest friends are Big Ears, Tessie Bear, Bumpy Dog, and the Tubby Bears.

• Big Ears: He is the most important friend to Noddy. Big Ears brought Noddy to Toyland. Whenever Noddy is in danger, Big Ears usually saves him. Noddy always goes to Big Ears for support and comfort. Big Ears is like a guardian to Noddy. He is kind but also has a strong voice that goblins fear. He can even use spells against wizards. Big Ears often speaks up for Noddy to Mr. Plod, the local policeman. This happens when Noddy is in trouble with the law. Sometimes, Big Ears needs help, and Noddy comes to his rescue. Noddy and Big Ears rarely have serious arguments.

• Tessie Bear: She is a gentle, gold-colored bear. Tessie often wears a bonnet with flowers and a skirt. She is very kind and loving to all her friends.

• Bumpy Dog: This is Tessie's pet dog. He loves to run up and "bump" into people, making them fall over. Noddy sometimes gets annoyed with Bumpy, but he still likes him. If Noddy threatens Bumpy, Tessie gets very upset and might even cry.

• The Tubby Bears: Mr. and Mrs. Tubby Bear live next door to Noddy. They are chubby teddy bears. They often help Noddy. Noddy always calls them Mr. and Mrs. Tubby Bear, showing they are older and wiser. They have a son, also named Tubby, sometimes called Master Tubby. Tubby is often naughty. He breaks rules, is rude, or does things wrong. Noddy tries to scold or punish Tubby, but it doesn't always work. Once, Tubby ran away to sea because he was tired of being told what to do. Noddy and Bumpy accidentally joined him. Tubby missed his parents and brought them presents as an apology.

Noddy and Mr. Plod

Noddy often has encounters with Mr. Plod, the policeman. Sometimes, this is because Noddy doesn't understand how Toyland works. Other times, it's a case of mistaken identity. Mr. Plod is usually patient with Noddy. Noddy likes Mr. Plod and often tries to help him. Mr. Plod catches troublemakers on his police bicycle. He blows his whistle and shouts "Halt in the name of Plod!!" before putting them in jail.

Inspiration for Noddy

It is believed that Enid Blyton got ideas for Noddy from the village of Studland in Dorset, England. She used to spend her holidays there every summer. A small group of trees near Studland was said to be "Noddy’s Wood." A policeman named PC Ray Rone, whom Blyton met, became the inspiration for PC Plod in the Noddy books.

Noddy Books

Noddy

Cover of the first Noddy story Noddy Goes To Toyland, published in 1949 by Sampson Low Illustrated by Harmsen van der Beek
Noddy Goes to Toyland Hurrah for Little Noddy Noddy and His Car Here Comes Noddy Again! Well Done Noddy! Noddy Goes to School Noddy at the Seaside Noddy Gets into Trouble Noddy and the Magic Rubber You Funny Little Noddy Noddy Meets Father Christmas Noddy and Tessie Bear Be Brave, Little Noddy! Noddy and the Bumpy-Dog Do Look Out, Noddy You're a Good Friend, Noddy Noddy Has an Adventure Noddy Goes to Sea Noddy and the Bunkey Cheer Up, Little Noddy! Noddy Goes to the Fair Mr. Plod and Little Noddy Noddy and the Tootles Noddy and the Aeroplane
Author	Enid Blyton
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Children's literature
Published	1949–63
No. of books	24

The first Noddy books are now very popular with collectors. There were 24 original Noddy books written by Enid Blyton. They were published between 1949 and 1963. Harmsen Van der Beek illustrated the first 7 books. After he died in 1953, other artists like Robert Tyndall and Peter Wienk continued his style.

Noddy books sell very well. For example, about 600,000 Noddy books are sold each year in France. They are also becoming more popular in India.

List of Original Noddy Books

• Noddy Goes to Toyland (1949)
• Hurrah for Little Noddy (1950)
• Noddy and His Car (1951)
• Here Comes Noddy Again! (1951)
• Well Done Noddy! (1952)
• Noddy Goes to School (1952)
• Noddy at the Seaside (1953)
• Noddy Gets into Trouble (1954)
• Noddy and the Magic Rubber (1954)
• You Funny Little Noddy (1955)
• Noddy Meets Father Christmas (1955)
• Noddy and Tessie Bear (1956)
• Be Brave, Little Noddy! (1956)
• Noddy and the Bumpy-Dog (1957)
• Do Look Out, Noddy (1957)
• You're a Good Friend, Noddy (1958)
• Noddy Has an Adventure (1958)
• Noddy Goes to Sea (1959)
• Noddy and the Bunkey (1959)
• Cheer Up, Little Noddy! (1960)
• Noddy Goes to the Fair (1960)
• Mr. Plod and Little Noddy (1961)
• Noddy and the Tootles (1962)
• Noddy and the Aeroplane (1963)

There was also a separate book called Noddy and Big-Ears (1952).

In 2008, Enid Blyton's granddaughter, Sophie Smallwood, wrote a new Noddy book. It was called Noddy and the Farmyard Muddle (2009). This book celebrated Noddy's 60th birthday. Robert Tyndall, who had been drawing Noddy since 1953, illustrated it.

Noddy on Television

Noddy has been adapted into many TV shows over the years. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the TV shows and new books updated the characters. For example, the original character Mr. Golly, who ran the Toyland garage, was replaced. He was replaced by Monsieur Polly in the 1975 series, and later by Mr. Sparks. A new character, Dinah Doll, was also added.

Here are some of the TV series based on Noddy:

• The Adventures of Noddy (1955)
• The Further Adventures of Noddy (1963)
• Noddy (1975–1976) - Made for ITV.
• Noddy's Toyland Adventures (1992–2000) - This was the BBC's first Noddy show and is very well known.
• Noddy (1998–2000) - A Canadian/American version.
• Make Way for Noddy (2002–2007) - A series made with computer animation.
• Noddy in Toyland (2009)
• Noddy, Toyland Detective (2016-2020) - A new version by DreamWorks Animation.

Other Noddy Adaptations

Programme of Noddy in Toyland at the Stoll Theatre, London

Noddy first appeared on stage in London in 1954. The show had a very large cast of children and teenagers. It ran for several years.

In 1963, Noddy was in a short animated film called Noddy Goes to Toyland.

In 1993, a stage show of Noddy opened at Wimbledon Theatre. It then toured around the UK. This show was very popular with critics and audiences. A sequel, "Noddy and the Tootle," also toured in 1995–1996.

Between 2002 and 2004, a computer-animated series called Make Way for Noddy was made. It had 100 episodes.

In 2004, 100 short two-minute videos called Say it With Noddy were created. In these, Noddy learned words in different languages. Noddy's new friend Whizz from Robot Village was introduced in these videos.

A new computer-animated series, Noddy in Toyland, was made in 2009. This series had more detailed faces for Big Ears and Mr. Plod. Tessie Bear got new clothes, and Whizz became a full-time character.

In 2012, the rights to Noddy were sold to ClassicMedia, which was then bought by DreamWorks Animation. This led to another computer-animated series called Noddy, Toyland Detective. It first aired in 2016.

Noddy in Other Media

Noddy characters have appeared in other stories and shows:

• In the book Seven Deadly Wonders, a character is nicknamed Noddy, and his best friend is called Big Ears.
• In The Transformers comics, a robot named "Tappet" looks like Noddy and can turn into Noddy's car.
• The puppet of Big Ears from the 1955–1963 Noddy TV series appeared in an episode of The Goodies.
• In Alan Moore's comic series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Toyland is a real country in the Arctic Circle.
• Noddy, Big Ears, and PC Plod are mentioned in a Two Ronnies comedy sketch.
• In an episode of Last of the Summer Wine, a character dressed up as Noddy for a parade.

Meaning of "Noddy"

Because Noddy is linked to children's books, the word "Noddy" is sometimes used to mean "small" or "unimportant." For example, in computer programming, someone might say "Noddy case" to mean a simple or basic situation.

Images for kids

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  Noddy and Big Ears