Blues Clues How to Draw Pieces of Wood

Notebook used in the UK adaptation, in the possession of Kevin Duala.

The Handy Dandy Notebook (Super Duper Notebook in the UK Blue's Clues Version, Bloco de notas amigável útil (Useful Friendly Notepad) in the Portugal Blue's Clues version, or simply Notebook in any version) is a small notebook used in almost every episode of Blue's Clues (mainly the ones where Blue's Clues is played) to write down the clues. Sidetable Drawer keeps it in her drawer when the hosts aren't using it, and at the start of each episode, they would go to her to retrieve it.

The name "Handy Dandy Notebook" has been used to describe Steve's notebook (used from 1996 to 2002), Joe's notebook (used from 2002 to 2006), and Josh's notebook/smartphone (used in Blue's Clues & You!). Common traits that many different variants of the notebook share include a red spiral and yellow paper. The notebook has a crayon in the spiral that reflects whoever owns it. Steve's crayon has a green-striped wrap around it (though if the crayon is a different color, the wrap is the same color with darker stripes), and Joe's crayon has a square pattern wrap that changes color based on whatever shirt he wears in an episode. In the reboot, Josh's crayon has a blue-striped wrap, matching the notebook cover.

It also appears as the first clue in "Draw Along with Blue", "Blue's Big Musical", and "Inventions"; and the answer to Blue's Clues in "Joe Gets a Clue". It is also the last clue as a phone in "Playdate with Magenta".

Behind the scenes

The covers for the Handy Dandy Notebook seen in Season 1 were made out of dense cardboard. Starting in Steve Gets The Sniffles, the covers were made out of birch plywood. The spiral, which was made from aluminum armature wire, remained the same throughout the entire original series. One side of the spiral of Steve or Joe's notebook would always be pinched in slightly to form a "U" shape, so that it could hold the tip of the crayon in place. Steve Burns revealed in a Cameo video message that the crayon (when it wasn't being used to draw) was made of wood. ^[1]

Versions

"Blue Prints" Notebook

The notebook seen in the series pilot Blue Prints has highlighter yellow covers with a black outline, yellow pages and a thin black spiral. The front cover is noticeably blank with no graphic of the Thinking Chair, a feature that was added in the final version of Snack Time. It looks like it could have just been a notebook that they got from the store. or they made it for the test pilot.

Steve's Notebook

Steve's notebook in early to mid Season 1
Steve's notebook in late Season 2-4

Steve's notebook is square-shaped, has a green front and back cover with black lining, and depicts the Thinking Chair on the front. When Steve went to college, he started using the notebook to take notes during his classes. This notebook is perhaps the most recognizable, and also comes in many different variants.

Beginning of original use: "Snack Time"
End of original use: "Steve Goes to College" and "Blue's First Holiday"

The same notebook is used by Kevin in the UK version from "Pretend Time" until "Something To Do Blue".

Variants

Birthday Notebook

This variant has a yellow ribbon wrapped around it, making it resemble a birthday present. It was revealed by Steve that it is the regular notebook that they decorated.

Used In: "Blue's Birthday"

Treasure Hunt Notebook

This variant has a red treasure chest with sparkly gold lining on the front instead of the Thinking Chair. It also has a secret compartment on the back cover that holds a treasure hunt hint.

Used In: "Blue's Big Treasure Hunt"

Nighttime Notebook

When Steve goes outside at night, the notebook changes to reflect the time. It has a black front and back cover with yellow lining, a yellow moon and stars on the front, and a yellow-lined Thinking Chair. This only happens when Steve goes outside and finds the second clue, and Steve reveals that it is because his notebook looks different in the dark, so when he finds the third clue in the living room, the notebook changes back. But in the Portuguese version, it was used throughout the episode.

Used In: "Blue's Big Pajama Party"

Holiday Notebook

This variant has a white front and back cover with a silver snowflake on each corner (each snowflake has a different design), and there is a tall yellow present with a green ribbon on the Thinking Chair. Also, when Steve shakes it, the notebook makes a jingling sound.

Used In: "Blue's Big Holiday"

Nature Notebook

This variant has front and back covers with wooden lining on the bottom and left and right sides, a brown spiral, dark beige paper, a crayon that looks like it was carved from a log of wood, and a front cover that depicts the Thinking Rock instead of the Thinking Chair.

Used In: "Nature"

Order Pad

This variant has a tall rectangle shape with a red crossed fork and spoon on the cover and white papers. It was not used as the main notebook, and the regular notebook was used. Steve calls it Order Pad in the U.S. and Kevin calls it Order Book in the U.K.

United States: Order Pad
United Kingdom: Order Book

Used In: "Café Blue"

Joe's Notebook

In Joe Gets a Clue, Blue gives Joe his own notebook to play Blue's Clues with. It is shaped like the Thinking Chair, and is wider and taller than Steve's notebook. It later makes a special appearance in the Blue's Clues & You! episode, Blue's Mystery Present where it was given to Josh by Joe.

First Used: "Steve Goes to College"
Last Used: "Soccer Practice"
Used again in: "Blue's Mystery Present".

In the UK version of "I'm So Happy!", Kevin is given this notebook by Sidetable Drawer.

Variants

Bedtime Notebook

This variant is the same shape as Joe's normal notebook, but is thicker and has a front and back cover made of the same material as a pillow.

Used In: "Bedtime Business"

Friend Notebook

This variant is essentially Joe's notebook with a pair of googly eyes, curly yellow yarn hair, and a green strand with frayed edges for a mouth. Sidetable and later Joe pretended to have it talk with them and others.

Used in: "Meet Polka Dots!"

Car Notebook

This variant is also shaped like the Thinking Chair, but looks like a car instead of the Thinking Chair. It is not Joe's notebook. It was given to him.

Used In: "Blue's Big Car Trip"

Love Notebook

This is the only variant of Joe's notebook that does not use the Thinking Chair shape. Instead the notebook is shaped like a heart, and the front and back covers are red with yellow lining.

Used In: "Love Day"

Gold Notebook

This variant comes in gold, and uses the design of the golden thinking chair.

Used In: "Meet Blue's Baby Brother"

Josh's Notebook

Josh's notebook is rectangular with rounded corners and has light and dark b l u e s t r i p e s on the cover like Josh's shirt. The notebook also has a phone on the back. When pulled out, the sound is a boxing bell similar to Steve's notebook chime. It is used in every episode except Bluestock where Josh instead uses his guitar and Blue's Mystery Present where it is replaced with Joe's Notebook.

Used in Blue's Clues & You!

Variants

Super Duper Notebook

This variant has a red cape on the back.

Used In: "The Thinking Squad"

Nighttime Notebook

Like Steve's notebook, When Josh goes outside at night, his notebook changes to reflect the time. It has a dark blue gradient front and back cover with yellow lining, a yellow moon and stars on the front, and the Thinking Chair. This only happens when Josh goes outside and finds the second clue, so when he finds the third clue in the living room, the notebook changes back. However, in Blue's Sleepy Singalong, the notebook remains dark.

Used In: "Pajama Party with Blue" and "Sleepy Singalong with Blue"

Musical Notebook

This variant has musical notes on it. All are eighth notes, three single notes and two double notes.

Used In: "Blue's Big Beat Band"

Pirate Notebook

This variant has sparkly stripes and the Thinking Chair wearing a pirate hat.

Used In: "Blue's Treasure Hunt"

Christmas Notebook (or The Very Merry No ho hotebook)

This variant has three snowflakes (two with the same design) and the Thinking Chair wearing a Santa hat. When it is shaken, it makes a jingling sound, like Steve's holiday notebook.

Used In: "Blue's Night Before Christmas"

Love Day Notebook

This variant is the same as the regular, but has four pink hearts on it (2 small, 2 big).

Used in: "What I Like About Blue"

Rainy Day Notebook

This variant is the same as the regular, but the Thinking Chair is under the umbrella.

Used in: "Blue's Rainy Day Rainbow"

Spring Notebook

This variant is the same as the regular, but has a lot of flowers.

Used in: "Spring is Here!"

Birthday Notebook

This variant is the same as the regular, but the Thinking Chair is wearing a party hat.

Used in: "It's Your Birthday!"

Halloween Notebook

This variant is the same as the regular, but the Thinking Chair is orange and has a jack-o-lantern face on the backrest.

Used in: "The Ghost of the Living Room"

Hanukkah Notebook

This variant is the same as the regular, but has a blue spiral a blue and white stripe cover with a blue Thinking chair and a blue and white stripe glitter crayon.

Used in: "A Blue's Clues Festival of Lights"

Snotebook

Same as the regular except it has snowflakes and the Snowy day Thinking chair in the front and a blue spiral. It also has a different ding than the other notebooks.

Used in: "Blue's Snowy Day Surprise"

Notebooksaurus

Josh's Notebook has been made to look like stone and the crayon made of a stick, and it has a white spiral instead of a red one. Josh's phone is replaced by a regular back cover, the only Blue's Clues & You notebook variant to not have Josh's phone thus far.

Used in: "Blue's Dino Clues"

Map Book

Same as the regular except it is horizontal and has a treasure chest with sparkly light blue lining on the front, similar to Steve's Treasure Hunt Notebook from "Blue's Big Treasure Hunt". This variation of the notebook is voiced by Steve Burns, and is also magic as it is capable of drawing the clues without the use of a crayon.

Used in: "Blue's Treasure of Clue Lagoon"

Trivia

Real Handy Dandy notebooks designed to look like both Steve and Joe's were sold as toys for kids by Flying Colours Toys Inc and other manufacturers. Since discontinuation they are no longer available at retail markets and regular fetch a high price on auction sites like eBay, however, handcrafted recreations are sold online on the handydandynotebooks.com website, which has every single notebook used in the show, as well as their own designs.
- There were also Joe's Shirt notebooks of all colors made by Flying Colors, however they never appeared in the show itself.
- On March 25 1999, the notebooks manufactured by Colorbök were recalled due to the coil's ends breaking off, posing a choking hazard.
Another notebook that looks exactly like Steve's was among the items for sale on the shelves of the present store (it was on the lower left) in "Math!".
- It costs 13 Blue dollars/Pounds.
The back of the disc case for the computer game Blue's Birthday Adventure lists the Handy Dandy Notebook as "Handy-Dandy Notebook".
According to "What Experiment Does Blue Want to Try?" (or at least in that episode), the red spiral that holding the paper together is made of metal and therefore magnetic.
In the KBS Korean version of the same episode, the notebook had an alternate cover.
In Sidetable's dream in "What Was Blue's Dream About?", she had a fancy notebook for Steve to play Blue's Clues with. It was basically a darker version of Steve's notebook with a sparkling cover and spiral.
In "What's So Funny?", Sidetable gave Steve a "Handy Dandy Potato" (an ordinary potato) as a joke. It wasn't until during the theme song that Steve realized and fixed the mistake.
In a few episodes, there are variants that look exactly like the normal notebook, but it makes a certain sound when opened.
- In "Blue's Big Costume Party" and it's remake, the notebook made a spooky laugh when opened.
- In "Prehistoric Blue" and "Blue's Dino Clues", the notebook roars like a dinosaur when opened.
The Handy Dandy Notebook was addressed as its UK name, Super Duper Notebook, in the US in the episode "Superfriends".
Kevin, the host of UK version, uses the same notebook design of both Steve's and Joe's.
The Handy Dandy Notebook was a clue 3 times: once in "Draw Along with Blue", once in "Blue's Big Musical", and once again in "Inventions". It was often nicknamed the "clue-notebook".
- Out of all 3 times, the Thinking Chair was included in the drawing design twice, in "Blue's Big Musical", and in "Inventions". Also, "Draw Along with Blue" was the only time where Steve forgot to draw the Thinking Chair in the Notebook was a clue.
- As a clue in all three episodes, the music instrument for the clue music for notebook was a bass, the same instrument heard when all the clues were drawn in Steve's notebook.
- Joe's notebook was the answer to Blue's Clues in "Joe Gets a Clue".
As the series progressed, the holes on the original notebook gradually grew larger. In the middle of the third season, they reached their largest size.
After the early episodes, a ding from a percussion instrument is heard when the notebook is withdrawn. When Steve takes out his notebook, the ding is of a triangle; and when Joe takes out his, it is of a chime. When Josh takes out his notebook, it is a boxing bell.
- Sometimes, another item may be accidentally withdrawn instead of the notebook, like a magnifying glass or "A Really Great Book". When this happens, the ding of a hi-hat cymbal is heard.
  - When Steve accidentally took out the kaleidoscope instead of the notebook in "What Did Blue See?" and when Steve accidentally pulled out a tissue from "Let's Plant", a fainter ding of a chime was heard. The triangle ding is heard after he got his notebook.
  - When Steve does his pulling out his notebook movement with his right hand before realizing he has his notebook (as a clue) on his left hand in "Draw Along with Blue", the fainter ding of a chime is heard.
  - When Steve took out the sock holding the notebook (both of which he got from Sidetable Drawer) to draw the 1st clue (books) in "Something To Do Blue", the triangle ding was fainter. The more clearer ding was heard after Steve got the notebook from the sock.
Upright bass music is heard when Steve draws the clues, tuba music is heard when Joe draws the clues, and electric bass music is heard when Josh draws the clues.
"Blue's Big Holiday" and "Making Changes" are the episodes to have the notebook make a sound when shaken.
The notebook is referred to as a rattle notebook in "Making Changes". It looks like the regular notebook, but when shaken, it sounds like a rattle.
In all episodes that feature a different notebook variant, Blue pulls out it's variant replaced by a normal notebook in the theme song, except for "Blue's Birthday".
- "Love Day" and "Meet Blue's Baby Brother" are not counted.
From Late Season 5 to Season 6, the clues in Joe's notebooks draw by themselves, come alive, and sing what they are. It was unclear if it would happen again in "Blue's Clues & You!" until now. In a new preview of Blues Clues & You, Josh drew the color green like in classic episodes where the host draws the clue, so we may see Josh draw the clues on his notebook instead of the clues drawing themselves, and singing when they come alive.
- This format was never featured in any Steve episodes.
- The talking clues do not return in Blue's Clues & You!, Josh is seen manually drawing them, just like Steve in seasons 1-4, and Joe in most of season 5.
In Bluestock (Original/Remake) there the only 2 episodes that Joe/Josh did not have the notebook.
The ringtone of Josh's phone is an excerpt of the Blue's Clues & You! Theme Song made to sound more like a cordless phone ringing.
Josh's notebook has no visible camera lenses, so it was unknown how Steve and Joe were able to see Josh, Blue and the viewer on a video call on "Meet Josh!", Josh was able to take a picture in "Playdate with Magenta" and take a selfie with the Sun in "Science with Blue".
- Also, no in-market smartphone had an under-screen selfie camera.

It is possible that Sidetable puts stickers on Josh's notebook, due to the fact that his notebook is part phone, and she couldn't buy a new notebook phone.
Because the Notebookasaurus variant does not have Josh's phone, it's possible the Notebookasaurus was made entirely from scratch unlike previous varants
Rumers says that Map Book is voiced by Steve Burns.