Carême, Maurice [My Kite / Mon Cerf-Volant]. Moi Zmei.

Translation by M. Kudinov.
Illustrations by F. Lemkul.

Moskva, Detgiz, 1958.
8vo, [16] pp.incl.wr., ill.

In original pictorial wrappers.
In good condition, wear to wrappers and spine, edges sun-tanned, one staple is new.

First edition of this translation and these illustrations. First Carême's Russian book.

This poem, written by Maurice Carême (1899-1978), a Belgian francophone poet, made its debut in 1947. The translation work was undertaken by Mikhail Kudinov (1922-1994). In 1948, during his tenure as a student at the philology faculty of Moscow State University, he was accused for engaging in anti-Soviet activities, leading to his incarceration in a camp. After his release in 1954, Kudinov resumed his studies and went on to establish himself as a significant translator of works by renowned figures such as Arthur Rimbaud and Guillaume Apollinaire, as well as various other classical and contemporary French poets.
The book's design was created by the distinguished children's book illustrator, Fyodor Lemkul (1914-1995).
It is plausible that the artistic style and thematic elements of the illustrations bear a connection to the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students, held in Moscow in 1957, which marked the inaugural such event within the USSR. This festival, being the largest of its kind, served as a hallmark of the Khrushchev Thaw, a period that profoundly impacted the creative cycles of Soviet artists.

OCLC locates one copy of this edition only: at Eloise Ramsey Collection of Literature for Young People in the Purdy/Kresge Library at Wayne State University.