Merry Mouse and His Trip to the Moon (1953)

 

My next 4 posts are celebrating children's illustrated fiction about going to the Moon.

Even though I have been collecting these children's book for over 30 years it still is very exciting to find one that you never knew existed. Jack Coggins was an amazing space artist in the 1950s. His two early children's books that were especially memorable were Rockets, Jets, Guided Missiles, and Space Ships (1951) and By Spaceship to the Moon (1952). I have multiple copies of these in English, French and German.

So I was very excited to find a 1960 reprint of his 1953 book Merry Mouse and His Trip to the Moon. It was written by his wife Alma Coggins. This is a fictional book with many of the same style of space painting about a mouse who goes to the Moon to find green cheese. I have chosen to reproduce almost he whole book since your chance of finding a copy are pretty small. I hope you enjoy this lost space art treasure.

Coggins, Alma. Illustrated by Coggins, Jack. Merry Mouse and His Trip to the Moon. (2nd edition) (Jolly Books.) London: L. Miller & Co. (20 p.) 1960. 

(reprint of 1953 1st edition). 

Above is the cover and below an illustration from Rockets,Jets...1951

Here is the cover to By Space Ship to the Moon 1952

The Spaceman at Home and at School (1958)

 

The Spaceman at Home and at School was a pamphlet for the elementary school teacher. It gave them ideas about how to teach about space flight in the classroom with vivid examples. It was not about the history of spaceflight but rather how to build on the "Space Race" excitement already in the classrooms of the time. Probably not too many copies of this one still around.

 It is a charming spaceflight craft and costume handbook. I found a copy that come from a retired teacher's classroom. Along with it she had reproduced drawings from the book and a play about spaceflight. She also had mimeographs to hand out of the play and to send home with parents who might have to create a costume. 

Miller, Ray. The Spaceman at Home and at School. Riverside, CA: Bruce Miller Publication. (24 p.) 1958. 

My 2016 blog post about this book and record https://dreamsofspace.blogspot.com/2016/09/space-horizons-unlimited-1957.html

One of the copied plans for parents.

Space Ship to the Moon (1952)

 

Happy New Year!

A "Space Ship to the Moon" is your present for a new year. I really like the illustrations in this book. The story is OK but the visions of spacecraft, a space station and mining on the Moon are worth seeing. This is a relatively low cost book used so if you like it it is easy to search out a copy.

Reichert, Edwin C. Illustrated by Bilder, Arthur K. Space Ship to the Moon. Chicago: Rand McNally and Co. (27 p.) 1952. 

Santa and The Space Men

 

It has been a while but here is a strange Christmas post for you.  Something about Santa and Flying Saucers seems to go together like White wine and Cracker Jack. Sort of sweet and tangy and gets your attention.

Santa and the Space Men is a play for children about how Santa is universal. The only illustration is the cover but the contents show an interesting play, creative costume choices, and a Christmas song I think you missed out on.

Edith Quick and James Fluckey. Santa and The Space Men. Franklin, OH : Eldridge Pub Co. (56 p.) 1956.

And a great finale...