Space Cat
Ruthven Todd, Paul Galdone
Hardcover
(Scribner, March 15, 1952)
Space Cat follows the adventures of Flyball, an adventurous cat who finds himself on a military base harboring a moon-going rocket. After getting on board the test flight of the rocket and handling himself well, the cat is outfitted with a pressure suit and is taken along for a full-out trip to the moon. On the moon Flyball finds a cave full of living things that are very different from earth-bound life. His human friend, an astronaut, is knocked out by a piece of falling debris, and it's up to Space Cat to save his life by using his head (and his paws) in a clever way. Then it's back to Earth, to the attention of the media and the adoration of his human friends!