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[SOVIET PROPAGANDA FOR PRESCHOOLERS] Boytsy voroshilovtsy: [Stikhi]: Dlya doshkol’nogo vozrasta [i.e. Voroshilov Fighters: [Verses]: For Preeschoolers]

Mikhalkov, S.

Item #2385

[Moscow]: Izd. i f-ka detskoy knigi Detizdata, 1938. [16] pp.: 8 full-page and half-page color illustrations by Ivan Kuznetsov. 14,4x10,8 cm. Owner’s wrappers (with original illustrated wrappers preserved). General soiling, but otherwise in a very good condition.

Scarce. First and only edition. Text in Russian. Edited by A. Stepanova. With color headpieces.

An interesting Soviet children’s book and a prime example of «party-approved» literature, distributed by the Central Committee of the All-Union Leninist Communist Youth League on the eve of WWII. The collection features five propaganda verses by Sergey Mikhalkov (1913–2009), celebrating the unwavering
enthusiasm of Soviet children for the approaching war and their eagerness to serve the motherland. The verses are complemented by colorful illustrations by Ivan Kuznetsov (1908–1987), a graduate of the Moscow Art Workers’ Faculty and the Polygraphy Institute. His striking illustrations depict Soviet youth armed with weapons, waving Red Army banners, and eagerly preparing for wartime heroism.

The author, Sergey Mikhalkov, was best known as the author of the Soviet and Russian national anthems, as well as a prolific children’s writer. In 1935, Mikhalkov published his children’s poem Three Citizens in the Pioner magazine. This was followed by other well-known children’s works, such as The Cheerful Tourist,
Stubborn Foma, My Friend and I, and Uncle Stepa, which appeared in his first poetry collection in 1936. Mikhalkov also wrote numerous plays for children’s theaters, including Special Assignment (1945), The Red Scarf (1946), I Want to Go Home (1949), and Sombrero (1957), as well as plays for adult audiences. In addition to his poetry and theater work, Mikhalkov authored numerous scripts for both live-action and animated films, solidifying his legacy as a significant
figure in Soviet literature and cinema.

Overall, a well-preserved Soviet children’s book and a notable example of officially sanctioned literature.

No copies found in Worldcat.