Este é um tiro longo, porque não é um romance infantil, é uma antologia de ficção científica de capa dura de 400 páginas com 5,5 "× 8,5" páginas. No entanto, há uma seção na frente (nas páginas 31-52) que é quase exatamente igual ao que você descreveu. Gostaria de saber se poderia ter sido publicado separadamente como livro infantil? As estas imagens tocam alguma sineta?
O livro é Viajantes do Espaço , editado por < href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Greenberg"> Martin Greenberg e publicado pela primeira vez por Gnome Pressione em 1951. O recurso que corresponde à sua descrição é um conjunto de 16 ilustrações coloridas de alienígenas de página inteira de Edd Cartier ( ISFDB , Wikipedia , Usos populosos , contadores de contos estranhos ) intitulado "Vida em outros mundos" com uma história de texto que o acompanha " O zoológico interestelar " por David Kyle .
Do ISFDB :
According to the contents page "The Interstellar Zoo" is a "special descriptive story" written to accompany Edd Cartier's illustrations (see next note). The text of the story is found on pages 31-32 and 49-52. The title "Life on Other Worlds" refers to 16 pages of full color illustrations by Edd Cartier found on pages 33-48. That title, which is the only title found in the book for this section, was printed solely on the contents page.
As fotos de Cartier estão disponíveis em Cérebros de Monstro .
A história de Kyle fala da visita de uma família ao zoológico interestelar, onde eles vêem os seres alienígenas através de um vidro de mão única e lêem sobre eles em um livreto. A maioria das exposições são inteligentes e estão lá como voluntários.
Trecho:
"'Picture Number One,'" Mrs. Murray read, "'shows a Venusian.'" (Page 33) "'In the cloudy atmosphere of Venus, this 50-foot being constantly floats above the semi-liquid surface of the planet. All its sense organs, including its brain, hang beneath its balloon body. The long, sensitive tentacles are remarkably dextrous—'"
"Excuse me, Mother," said Don, "but it's not necessary to read it aloud. I know all these simple facts."
"Let's not forget Harriet," his mother replied patiently. "She's still a little girl and can't read very well."
"That's all right. I'll explain things to her."
Don took his sister by one hand and rubbed her frizzly blonde hair with the other.
"They have to live inside that big case, Sis, because the air is thick and specially mixed just like on Venus. And they can't stand direct sunlight so the walls are tinted—which is why they're so difficult to see. . . ."
Harriet dragged him on to the next section. The huge white figure inside was clearly seen. (Page 34)
"Big bean!" Marion exclaimed.
"—Being," Don corrected. "And it's big, all right. Probably thirty feet tall. The air is blue because it's more like ammonia than anything else. He's galactic—not from our solar system. Look at its trunk—it uses it like a hand."
"Like an elephant," Mrs. Murray added helpfully.
"That's not a good comparison," Don said, rather stiffly. "Much more like a hand. You'll note that every intelligent being has some sort of hand, or at least a hand substitute. It's a mark of intelligence—any such being almost invariably has to have a mechanical means for manipulating its environment."
Há uma pequena reviravolta no final quando a pequena Harriet diz:
"I know what I want to be when I grow up, Momma," she said.
"What, dear?"
"In a zoo. In a zoo on another world!"
Don laughed, but Mrs. Murray didn't—the idea intrigued her woman's vanity.