Forget Yuri Gagarin: Britain got there first. So, at least, runs the story in Diana Ross’s 1956 The Little Red Engine and the Rocket, now reissued, with Leslie Woods’s bold, jazzy illustrations, as an Andre Deutsch Classic. “It’s about building a rocket and how the Little Red Engine helps,” explained Josh (aged four-and-a-half). “I learned what it’s like to be in space—it’s fun and you float.” Fifties can-do fervour is well to the fore. As the engine himself put it, “In you get and away we go.” £6.99, ISBN 023399405X.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
We've found a mysterious substance on Titan and Pluto
2
Has the answer to life's origins been hiding in our cells all along?
3
A quantum state that lasts forever may finally be within our grasp
4
Most portable air conditioners suck – but there's an easy fix
5
Faecal transplant makes the brains of old mice act young again
6
The secrets to keeping your brain sharp in old age
7
The social media ban is an experiment – here’s how it will be studied
8
Remarkable fossils rewrite the story of how animals conquered the land
9
What’s the secret to living well beyond the average life expectancy?
10
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
