JF Ptak Science Books
WInsor, Frederick. The Space Child's Mother Goose. Simon & Schuster; 1958. (Unpaginated, but ca. 85pp.) Very nice copy in a very nice dustjacket. Also: a very scarce REVIEW COPY. $250
The history of Mother Goose--but real and imagined--is a long and winding story, the blending of the old stories to more modern times almost as odd as the stories themselves. This entry is what I think is the first "Space Age" version of the tales, though mostly it concerns itself with the ideals of Mother Goose more so than the stories themselves.
The physics-esque approach to the old idea rests in the verses of Frederick Winsor in his The Space Child's Mother Goose, printed by Simon and Schuster in 1958, the stories helped along by some fine and tech-intricate drawings by Marian Parry. The poems are occasionally delightful as works in themselves; but when you grade the work on a curve of science poems/funny science, it gets an even higher grade. Let's face it--there weren't that many works in this genre in the 1950's/'60's, so it gets a little help just for being a friend to the lonesome in the pop-science-poem arena. (The text for the volume can be found here; and if you wanted to own it you may purchase it from our blog bookstore, here.)
This is the Theory Jack built. This is the Flaw That lay in the Theory Jack built. This is the Mummery Hiding the Flaw That lay in the Theory that Jack built. This is the Summary Based on the Mummery Hiding the Flaw That lay in the Theory that Jack built. This is the Constant K That saved the Summary Based on the Mummery Hiding the Flaw That lay in the Theory that Jack built. This is the Erudite Verbal Haze Cloaking Constant K That saved the Summary Based on the Mummery Hiding the Flaw That lay in the Theory that Jack built. This is the Turn of a Plausible Phrase That thickened the Erudite Verbal Haze Cloaking Constant K That saved the Summary Based on the Mummery Hiding the Flaw That lay in the Theory that Jack built. This is the Chaotic Confusion and Bluff That hung on the Turn of a Plausible Phrase That thickened the Erudite Verbal Haze Cloaking Constant K That saved the Summary Based on the Mummery Hiding the Flaw That lay in the Theory that Jack built. This is the Cybernetics and Stuff That covered Chaotic Confusion and Bluff That hung on the Turn of a Plausible Phrase That thickened the Erudite Verbal Haze Cloaking Constant K That saved the Summary Based on the Mummery Hiding the Flaw That lay in the Theory that Jack built. This is the button to Start the Machine To make with the Cybernetics and Stuff To cover Chaotic Confusion and Bluff That hung on the Turn of a Plausible Phrase That thickened the Erudite Verbal Haze Cloaking Constant K That saved the Summary Based on the Mummery Hiding the Flaw That lay in the Theory that Jack built. This is the Space Child with Brow Serene Who Pushed the Button to Start the Machine That made with the Cybernetics and Stuff Without Confusion, exposing the Bluff That hung on the Turn of a Plausible Phrase And, shredding the Erudite Verbal Haze Cloaking Constant K Wrecked the Summary Based on Mummery Hiding the Flaw And Demolished the Theory that Jack built.
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