Science Fiction and Readers Guide (The Children's Hour, vol 16) 1954

 

As I work through odds and ends to scan I have an anthology of children's science fiction. It is actually the 141 page section of Volume 16 of the 16 volume anthology called The Children's Hour. It is rare to see anthology like this. I chose to select some illustration to share. I will tell you the title of the story and the artist (if available).

Science Fiction & Readers Guide. (Volume 16, The Children's Hour) Edited by Marjorie Barrows. Chicago: The Spencer Press, Inc. (376 p. ) 1954.

What Time Is It? By Richard Elam. Illustrated by Hardie Gramatky

Mars and Miss Pickerell. By Ellen MacGregor. Illustrated by Paul Galdone

Lancelot Biggs On The Saturn. By Nelson Bond. Illustrated by John McKee

The Black Pits of Luna. By Robert A. Heinlein. Illustrated by Brinton Turkle.

An interesting Glossary of Science Fiction words found in the stories.

Let's Pretend (1954)

Occasonally you pick up a book only for its cover. I agree there is no space flight content in Let's Pretend but the cover and the title page are spcial. They capture the dream of being in space and how some of us used to put on our space costume and create our visionary personal stories.  The book is about the occupations childen can dream of and the joy they get in thinking anything is possible. 

Friedman, Frieda. Illustrated by Patterson, Valeria. Let’s Pretend. Kenosha, WI: Samuel Lowe Co. (19 p.) 1954 

Sugar Jets Cereal (1954)

 

Sugar Jets Cereal! More sugar than your body needs in easy bite-sized bits.

Sugar Jets cereal was introduced in 1953, but here is a 1954 box. Its mascot for years was Major Jet. I have collected a bunch of ads, premiums, and comic strips about this cereal since I loved the "space age" design. So here is my collection so far.

I do have to recommend this 1958 Sugar Jets commercial for its space age appeal and the commercial for the Lindberg Space Station model you could send away for.

Sugar Jets - Your Breakfast for Tomorrow (1958 Commercial)

https://youtu.be/MHGhW4hPXcs?si=P6-8-Bb2ulcJzScQ

Back of the cereal box:

Some advertisements of the time

A giveaway premium: Major Jet's Rocket-Glider

Major Jet's Magic Googles

Next is Major's Jet's Magic Paint Set. I had blogged about these cereal premiums back in 2013.

"Yes, the universe of tomorrow may seem as small as the world of today!"

Finally here is some of the advertisements/comic strips that used to appear in the Sunday comics.

Thank goodness for Major Jet and his Jet Helicopter!

Skyjets for Fliers of Tomorrow (1954)

 

So this is one of the stranger books I have found over the years. It is about a future in which people will get individual jet-powered wings to fly. It is set a little like a fantasy and a little like a dream. It has "perfect" 1950s illustrations about how the future might develop. Mostly it is a lot of fun. Back to spaceflight stuff next week.

Donaldson, Lois and Arthur K. Bilder. Illustrated by Bilder, Arthur K. Skyjets for Fliers of Tomorrow. Chicago, IL: Albert Whitman. (28 p.) 1954. 

It was all a dream....