Vintage 1957 Soviet Book: Karik & Valya (Sci-Fi Classic) – Jan Larry | Tsar to Soviet Books

Classic 1957 Soviet Sci-Fi Novel: "The Extraordinary Adventures of Karik and Valya" by Jan Larry

For collectors of Soviet science fiction, vintage children's literature, and classic mid-century book illustration, this 1957 original Soviet hardcover edition is a classic. Published in Leningrad by Detgiz (Государственное издательство детской литературы Министерства просвещения РСФСР) in the "School Library" (Школьная библиотека) series, The Extraordinary Adventures of Karik and Valya (Необыкновенные приключения Карика и Вали) was written by novelist Jan Leopoldovich Larry.

Bound in its original cloth-backed color pictorial boards illustrated by A. Kondiayn, this 280+ page volume is a masterwork of Soviet biological fantasy.

Microscopic Survival, Entomological Lore & Classic 1950s Sci-Fi Jan Larry’s masterpiece merges storytelling with natural science:

• The Shrinking Potion & Micro-Jungle: After swallowing a mysterious experimental liquid in Professor Ivan Germogenovich Enotov's laboratory, Karik and Valya shrink to millimeter size and are carried away into a wild world where ordinary grass blades become towering forests.

• Survival Fieldcraft & Natural Hazards: The children and the professor navigate water crossings on a leaf sailboat with insect wings, outsmart predatory beetle larvae (жужелицы), escape dragonflies, and craft tools from natural fibers and spider silk.

• Entomological Accuracy: Explains the anatomy, predatory behaviors, and habitats of insects and flora in an accessible format.

• Period Book Art: Includes full title graphics, character sketches, and detailed insect drawings by A. Kondiayn.

Complete Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Необыкновенные приключения Карика и Вали (The Extraordinary Adventures of Karik and Valya)

• Author: Jan Larry (Ян Ларри)

• Illustrator: A. Kondiayn (А. Кондиайн)

• Edition: 3rd Edition

• Publisher: "Detgiz" (Детгиз, Ленинград)

• Publication Date: 1957 (Leningrad, USSR)

• Language: Russian

• Binding: Original publisher's cloth-backed pictorial hardcover

• Page Count: 280+ pages with 18 chapters and illustrations

• Classification: Soviet Children's Literature / Science Fiction & Fantasy / Entomology & Biology

Condition & Preservation Report

• Exterior Condition: Original cloth-backed pictorial boards are clean, flat, and rigid with bright cover colors and minimal shelf rubbing along the corners and board edges.

• Binding Integrity: Firm, square, and tight text block with intact hinges and solid spine cloth.

• Page Quality: Interior pages, chapter headpieces, and line illustrations are clean and unmarked, exhibiting uniform light cream age-toning typical of 1950s Soviet paper stocks. Free from marginal notation, crayon marks, child scribbles, library stamps, or owner signatures.

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