The Tufty Club Book No. 1 – Stories of Tufty Fluffytail and his Furryfolk Friends

Presented by Hertfordshire County Council (official local-authority giveaway edition) Publication year: c. 1974 (first edition of the Ken Langstaff-illustrated series, Book No. 1) ISBN: None (RoSPA promotional booklet – never issued with ISBN) Format Landscape A5 (210 × 148 mm) softcover / staple-bound pictorial booklet 40 pages Full-colour illustrations on every opening Condition Pristine / Like New – an exceptional, almost untouched copy The covers are bright, crisp and completely free of any creasing, scuffs, rubbing or sun-fading. All 40 interior pages are clean, bright white and unmarked with no foxing, inscriptions, children’s doodles or library stamps. The original staples are tight, bright and rust-free. The only addition is the original local charity-shop price sticker (£17) neatly placed on the lower rear cover – a charming period touch that can be left as provenance or easily removed. This is one of the finest surviving examples of this scarce 1970s giveaway title. Description A very scarce and highly collectible 1970s British road-safety classic featuring the beloved red squirrel Tufty Fluffytail (dressed in his signature blue jacket and yellow trousers) and his colourful cast of Furryfolk friends: Bobbie Brown Rabbit and his twin sisters Bessie and Betsie, Willy Weasel, Sergeant Badger the friendly policeman, Mrs Fluffytail, Mr Wise Owl, Constable Bertie Badger, and many more. Author background Written by Elsie Mills MBE, the visionary children’s safety campaigner who created the entire Tufty Club phenomenon in 1953 while working for RoSPA. Her gentle, story-led approach taught millions of British under-fives the basics of road safety. The Tufty Club grew into a nationwide network with over two million child members at its peak and earned Elsie Mills the MBE for services to child safety education. Illustrator background Beautifully illustrated in full colour by Ken Langstaff (1918–2008), who succeeded Marcia Lane Foster as the official Tufty artist in the 1970s. Langstaff’s warm, cheerful, cartoon style is instantly reminiscent of Richard Scarry – anthropomorphic animals in smart clothes going about everyday adventures, with bold primaries, clean lines and expressive faces that make learning feel fun rather than preachy. Collectors frequently note the strong Scarry vibe in these later Tufty titles. Publisher & historical context This is the official Hertfordshire County Council presentation edition distributed free to schools and families as part of RoSPA’s national “Green Cross Code” campaign. RoSPA produced these booklets as part of a major 1970s push to reduce child road accidents through memorable characters and simple stories. The book gently introduces key safety messages: using zebra crossings, looking and listening, keeping garden gates shut, not playing ball in the road, wearing reflective armbands at night, and much more. Contents The complete text and illustrations include the following charming stories: • Playing Snowballs • Playing Ball • Keep the Garden Gate Shut • Shopping with Mummy • Tufty’s Birthday Present • Tufty Goes to School • Busy Mr Milkman • Home for the Holidays • Going to the Seaside • Going to the Ice Cream Van • Tufty’s Christmas Party • The Furryfolk See the Fireworks Each tale reinforces a clear road-safety lesson while remaining entertaining and age-appropriate for 3–7 year olds. Collectibility These 1970s RoSPA Tufty booklets are increasingly sought after as nostalgic social-history ephemera. Pristine copies with the specific local-council imprint (Hertfordshire in this case) are genuinely rare on the open market. Most surviving examples show heavy child use; a Like New copy such as this is a true survivor and would make a wonderful addition to any collection of British children’s educational books, road-safety memorabilia, or mid-20th-century illustration. Perfect for fans of vintage Ladybird books, or anyone who remembers the Tufty Club from their own childhood. …