This is Cape Canaveral (1963) (part 1)

This is another one of those great books about spaceflight that I can't get enough of.  I am aware of the approaching 47th anniversary of people landing on the Moon. this books is one of the best at bringing back that moment of hope as America tried for the Moon" before the decade was out." Because I want to share a lot of this book it will be a 2 part posting, with the second part on July 20th.

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Sasek, Miroslav. Illustrated by Sasek, Miroslav. This is Cape Canaveral. New York: The Macmillan Co. (60 p.) 32 cm. Cloth, DJ.

 Text and illustrations show a "tourist's scrapbook" of a visit to Cape Canaveral.  There are illustrations and discussion of launch equipment, the local space museum and the launch of the Atlas rockets of the Mercury program.   See 1964 reprint/retitling: “This is Cape Kennedy.”

It is this children's scrapbook quality that is really attractive, it gives the sense of being there and seeing all this for the first time. I was only 4 years old when this book was published but upon finding it in the school library appreciated how much detail was in it.

Because the "Space Race" was more than the rockets, it was this sense of national excitement at we saw each test succeed and each astronaut reach new heights and records. To a child getting to go where it was happening was an amazing treat.

 I like how much of the "space culture" was captured. I too remember a time when everything was about space.

We will leave it here as we focus on the Saturn rocket,the Mercury program and the potential of going to the Moon.  See you on the 20th!