diff -r 006c3e3c76b4 Lib/pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/pydoc.py	Sat Dec 21 16:19:57 2013 +0100
+++ b/Lib/pydoc.py	Sat Dec 21 13:41:21 2013 -0500
@@ -1532,7 +1532,9 @@
     if isinstance(thing, str):
         object = locate(thing, forceload)
         if not object:
-            raise ImportError('no Python documentation found for %r' % thing)
+            raise ImportError('No Python documentation found for %(thing)r.\n'
+                'Try help(%(thing)r) for information on recognized strings or '
+                'help(str) for help on the str class.' % {'thing': thing})
         return object, thing
     else:
         name = getattr(thing, '__name__', None)
diff -r 006c3e3c76b4 Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Sat Dec 21 16:19:57 2013 +0100
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Sat Dec 21 13:41:21 2013 -0500
@@ -204,7 +204,9 @@
                                       for s in expected_data_docstrings)
 
 # output pattern for missing module
-missing_pattern = "no Python documentation found for '%s'"
+missing_pattern = "No Python documentation found for '%(module)s'.\n" +
+    "Try help('%(module)s') for information on recognized strings or " +
+    "help(str) for help on the str class."
 
 # output pattern for module with bad imports
 badimport_pattern = "problem in %s - ImportError: No module named %r"
@@ -405,14 +407,14 @@
     def test_not_here(self):
         missing_module = "test.i_am_not_here"
         result = str(run_pydoc(missing_module), 'ascii')
-        expected = missing_pattern % missing_module
+        expected = missing_pattern % {'module': missing_module}
         self.assertEqual(expected, result,
             "documentation for missing module found")
 
     def test_input_strip(self):
         missing_module = " test.i_am_not_here "
         result = str(run_pydoc(missing_module), 'ascii')
-        expected = missing_pattern % missing_module.strip()
+        expected = missing_pattern % {'module': missing_module.strip()}
         self.assertEqual(expected, result)
 
     def test_stripid(self):