Tuesday, 26 November 2013

The Blue Peter mini books

In 1969 Blue Peter branched out still further into the publishing market with a series of mini books which focussed on specific topics.


The first four books included:

The Blue Peter Book of Teddy’s Clothes

The Blue Peter Book of Television

The Blue Peter Safari to Morocco

The Blue Peter Book of Pets



The following year a second series of mini books was published which included:
 
The Blue Peter Book of Presents
 
The Blue Peter Book of Guide Dogs
 
The Blue Peter Book of Daniel
 
The Blue Peter Expedition to Ceylon

The mini book series was clearly a strategy to make a few extra bob from those families in the UK who were well-off enough to buy both the annual as well as something a little more specialist. Or perhaps aimed at those young people considering moving from Blue Peter O level to Blue Peter A level. 

For those of us whose parents might have wistfully gazed at the mini books in Woolworth on Christmas Eve 1969 and then decided to stick with the tried and tested generalist format of the annual, we were destined but to dream of one day borrowing them from the local library or pinching them from a posh-pal's bedroom. 

Decades later, these treasured if well worn mini gems from the Blue Peter book shelf are turning up by the sack load on e-bay and I am therefore a tad relieved that I didn't give in to the temptation to nick a copy of The Book of Teddy's Clothes from my middle class mate, as finally I now have my own legitimately acquired copy.

Now all I need is an old sock and a big pair of crimping scissors.
 

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