1. The moon is up there, far away. No one has been there yet. But some one will go there soon. Some day you may go there, too.

    — You will go to the moon by Mae and Ira Freeman

  2. You will go to the moon by Mae and Ira Freeman - Illustrated by Robert Patterson

    You will go to the moon, front cover

    You will go to the moon spread

    You will go to the moon spread

    You will go to the moon spread

    You will go to the moon spread

    You will go to the moon spread

    You will go to the moon spread

    The first spread in the book features the text “The moon is up there, far away. No one has been there yet. But some one will go there soon. Some day you may go there, too.” It feels strange to read this in an age where space travel is a reality and shuttle launches hardly attract any attention. At the time of writing America would have been busily working on their space program in an attempt to beat the USSR to the moon. 

    Illustrated by Robert Patterson with a very 1950’s feel to it. I love the playful artwork and especially the futuristic space craft illustrations. There’s even a console in one of the spreads above that looks suspiciously like an iMac…

    Below is a little information I found about the artist:

    After studying art at the Chicago Art Institute and in Paris, Robert Patterson began his career as a cartoonist for Judge and Life, and on the staff of French Vogue. He has done illustrations for dozens of magazines, for advertising and other media and for numerous books, and is a portrait painter as well. (source: www.glamoursplash.com)

    Links to examples of his artwork:

    http://homepage.mac.com/cssfan/jackfinney/img/ghk490300.jpg

    http://homepage.mac.com/cssfan/jackfinney/img/ghk490300044.jpg

    http://www.glamoursplash.com/2010/06/beached-blonde-fiction-illustration.html

  3. The Cat in The Hat cover - Dr Seuss

    The Cat in the Hat spread

    The Cat in the Hat spread

    The Cat in the Hat spread

    The Cat in the Hat spread 

    The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss

    This is the 1958 first edition (UK) published by Collins & Harvill Press and it’s even signed by Dr Seuss himself. Although I don’t plan to review the books in any particular order I felt that the first book on this blog had to be The Cat in the Hat. This is the first release in the series and the most famous to feature Dr Seuss’s artwork.

    The illustrations are beautiful. Each page features only red, blue and black ink and this simplicity makes them especially distinctive. Dr Seuss displays his brilliance as an author and artist with this playful story about a mischievous cat who calls on two small children when their mother is out. Other characters in this book include the fish in the bowl (the voice of reason) and the two things. Thing One and Thing Two.

    Being such a famous book there are lots of reviews online by people who offer greater insight than I ever could so I’l include a few links below.  

    Reviews

    http://www.planetpsych.com/zSelf_Help/catinhat.htm

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_in_the_Hat

    http://www.curledupkids.com/catparty.htm

    Purchase a new copy of the book from Random House

    http://www.seussville.com/books/book_detail.php?isbn=9780394800011