Noddy's return sees Golliwogs dumped

Noddy will be without some of his best friends when a new book about his latest
adventures in Toyland is released.

Noddy's golliwog mates have been omitted from what will be the first official new
book about the little wooden boy for more than 45 years when it is released in late
October.
Author Sophie Smallwood, the granddaughter of Noddy's creator Enid Blyton, decided
against featuring any golliwog characters for fear the book would be too
contentious.
Instead, Noddy and the Farmyard Muddle will follow the wooden elf-like character as
he tackles mysterious events at the Toyland farm after goblins arrive in town.
While the golliwogs won't be able to help Noddy this time, his other friends
including Big Ears, Tessie Bear and Mr Plod will.
In Blyton's books, first published between the late 1940s and early 1960s, golliwog
Mr Golly was one of Noddy's best friends and helped look after his famous yellow and
red car.
There were also evil golliwogs who tried to steal Noddy's car.
But the black-faced doll characters were replaced in later editions of the original
Noddy books amid fears they were racist.
Smallwood said she had tried to remain true to the original Noddy stories.
"I read all the Noddy stories again before I started writing to make sure I struck
the right tone," she told Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
"Most people now realise the toys removed from the stories were just toys, but
sometimes things are too complicated and I thought it would cause more upset to
recreate something that had moved on."
Enid Blyton Society spokesman Tony Summerfield said the removal of the golliwogs was
unnecessary.
"I don't think when Enid wrote about golliwogs there was anything racist in it at
all," he said.
The new book is being released to coincide with Noddy's 60th birthday.