Moonshot 1970 was published in 1967. At the time the optimistic title made a lot of sense. It seemed like we were on a roll and this booklet explained how we would get there. But this pamphlet was popular enough to take several journeys of its own while we were working our way to the moon.
Lomask, Martha . Illustrated by Mellor, Gordon. Moonshot 1970. Columbus, OH: For Children, Inc. (33 p.) 18 cm. "Grow-ahead"
Just for fun, they issued a 1968 version with a 3-d pop-up in the back which they called "Our Man on the Moon":
Also available in 1968 as a free premium on the giant size of Thrill dish soap.
In 1969 you could read this pamphlet as a give-away from Tang as "The Big Trip to the Moon" complete with Tang advertisement on the back or...
Finally while you were flying on TWA in 1969 you could read "Moonshot 1970" all over again.
My father, Bruce Nichols was the owner, publisher, and often writer, of Grow Ahead Press, Inc. He was an advertising executive straight out of an episode of "Mad Men", and came up with the idea to create a line of educational books for children geared toward sports, exploration, and history. Each book written toward a child aged between 7-12, but always had bright, active illustrations to help capture the interest & imagination of younger minds as well. As a child, my siblings and I enjoyed meeting many sport stars of the day, including Jack Nicklaus, Arthur Ashe, Bart Starr, Oscar Robinson. Cale Yarborough, Bob Gibson, and more. A few of the book covers even used us as models, standing next to one or more notable athlete. The expense of publishing most Grow Ahead Books came from advertisers and sponsors, such as TWA, Tide, and a few other large brands. It was a great marketing idea, and though it was successful for only around 5 years, seeing your copy of Moonshot 1970 brings back many fond memories, which have lasted much longer!
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