Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Sparky the Space Chimp (1967)


Sparky the Space Chimp was a 1967 Australian book used in school, it was also reprinted in 1975 (below).

As you can see it was intended as "interesting reading" for children practicing their reading skills.  The actual era of using chimps for space flight was very short but they persisted in school books.  I think this may have been becasue the actual events were moving too fast for a book about the manned programs not to be quickly out of date.


Sparky the Space Chimp. Brisbane, Qld. : Jacaranda. 61 p. 1967. Endeavour Reading Programme No. 5
The paintings in the book are a nice snapshot of how other countries viewed out space efforts.


I have also speculated that "chimps in space" is a realistic surrogate for children. A child could imagine themselves on the same adventure.


The painted details are obviously fiction if you have ever seen the actual photographs of the monkey and chimp flights. Nevertheless they were space heroes and it is nice to remember thier adventures.
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7 comments:

  1. Cal's Canadian Cave of CoolnessJanuary 18, 2012 at 9:31 PM

    NASA Rule #23

    Every civilian who loads a monkey into one of our rockets must be accompanied by his youngest child. Safety helmets optional.

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousAugust 22, 2023 at 9:46 PM

      well it was a book and it gave me a life long interest in space flight so meh

      Delete
  2. Rick DeNataleJanuary 21, 2012 at 11:41 AM

    The story even lived on into the 21st century. Does anyone else remember the 2001 movie "Race to Space", which featured James Woods as a german rocket scientist and a Mercury Redstone chimp flight? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167360/

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  3. AnonymousMay 17, 2013 at 2:58 AM

    i remember this book as a kid in 1971 when i was in grade 2 at Ayr, Qld Australia. I loved the story and the images
    GR

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousDecember 8, 2014 at 4:51 AM

      Yes I remember this book, my brother bought it home and we started calling him sparky the chimp. We still use this name for him now 30 years later.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousAugust 13, 2024 at 5:32 AM

      Wow.. just reflecting upon this book. Can’t remember reading it but the do recall the pictures. amazing someone not too far from me growing up in Townsville, Qld Australia & noting the same character!
      SW

      Delete
  4. UnknownJanuary 19, 2017 at 10:43 PM

    I remember getting this book to take home in 1979 as the first book we were to read and the excitement I felt because I could keep it overnight is what made this book stay in my memories forever

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