The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet facts for kids
Front cover of the first edition
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| Author | Eleanor Cameron |
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| Illustrator | Robert Henneberger |
| Cover artist | Henneberger |
| Country | Canada |
| Series | Mushroom Planet |
| Genre | Science fiction, children's literature |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company (Atlantic Monthly Press) |
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Publication date
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September 1954 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 214 |
| OCLC | 166449 |
| LC Class | PZ7.C143 Wo |
| Followed by | Stowaway to the Mushroom Planet |
The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet is an exciting science fiction novel for children. It was written by Eleanor Cameron and first published in 1954. The story takes place in Pacific Grove, California, and on a tiny moon called Basidium. This moon is 50,000 miles from Earth and is usually invisible.
The "Mushroom Planet" is covered in many kinds of mushrooms. It is home to small green people who are facing a big problem. The book was published by Little, Brown and Company and received good reviews.
Contents
What is The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet About?
This book tells the story of two boys, David Topman and Chuck Masterson. They go on an amazing adventure to a secret moon. The moon is full of mushrooms and has friendly, green inhabitants.
How the Adventure Begins
The story starts when David and Chuck see a strange ad in a newspaper. It asks for two young boys to build a spaceship. The boys quickly get to work. They build a ship using old tin, scrap wood, and even part of an old rowboat.
They take their homemade spaceship to the person who placed the ad. This person is a mysterious inventor and scientist named Mr. Tyco Bass.
Discovering Basidium-X
Mr. Bass shows the boys something incredible. Using a special filter, he reveals a moon that no one on Earth had ever seen before. He calls this hidden moon Basidium-X.
Mr. Bass then improves the boys' spaceship. He gives them a special fuel he invented. He tells them to fly to the mushroom planet, but only after getting their parents' permission. He also gives them an important warning: their trip will only work if they bring a mascot.
The Journey to the Mushroom Planet
When it's time to launch, David and Chuck quickly grab David's hen, Mrs. Pennyfeather, to be their mascot. They blast off into space!
They soon find the planet Basidium. It is a small, green world covered in soft moss and giant, tree-sized mushrooms.
Meeting the Mushroom People
The boys quickly meet some of the people who live on the mushroom planet. They are small men with large heads and slightly green skin. They are the same kind of people as the mysterious Mr. Bass.
The mushroom people tell the boys that their planet is in trouble. Everyone is slowly getting sick from a mysterious illness. David and Chuck meet the king of the planet, the Great Ta. They work together to solve the natives' problem. After helping the mushroom people, the boys return safely to Earth.
Other Ways to Read the Book
Over the years, The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet has been printed in different ways.
- Viaje Maravilloso Al Planeta de los Hongos (1965) - This is a Spanish version of the book.
- Scholastic (1966) - A paperback version was released.
- Joy Street / Little, Brown (1988) - Another paperback edition came out, with a new cover by Peter Sís.
- Little, Brown (1998) - A new edition with cover art by Kevin Hawkes.
- Little, Brown (2003) - The book was re-released with a cover by Steve Vance.
