Snegirev, G. [About Penguins]. Pro Pingvinov. 

Illustrations by M. Miturich.

Moskva, Sovetskaya Rossiya, 1961. 
8vo, 15, [1] pp., ill.

In original pictorial wrappers.
Near very good condition, light wear to spine and wrapper edges, edges sun-tanned, small tear to spine, small owner mark to front cover. 

Signed and inscribed by the illustrator: 'Risoval Ya M. Miturich / 26 X 61' [Drawn by me M. Miturich 26 X 61]. May Miturich's autographs are quite rare. He reserved the act of signing his books for close friends only. First edition.

This book tells the story of an expedition to an island near Antarctica, featuring amusing penguins and their adversaries.
The illustrations for this book were created by May Miturich (Miturich-Khlebnikov, 1925–2008), an artist who was the nephew of futurist poet Velimir Khlebnikov and the son of avant-garde artist Vera Khlebnikova. Miturich studied at the Moscow Polygraphic Institute, where he later became a teacher. In 2005, Miturich was honored with the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun.
The author of the book, Gennadiy Snegirev, was a close friend of Miturich, and they embarked on joint travels to the Commander Islands, Tuva, and Central Asia.
The book was signed for Inna Shmeleva (1929-2020), an artist and a dear friend of Miturich. Shmeleva studied under Ely Bielutin, the founder of The New Reality artistic academy. In 1962, Shmeleva participated in the 30th-anniversary exhibition of the Moscow Union of Artists at the Central Exhibition Hall (Manège), an event that faced severe criticism from Nikita Khrushchev. This event marked the end of the period known as the Khrushchev Thaw.

We couldn't trace any copy of this edition in the USA or European libraries via OCLC.