Grishin, D. The History of the Corncob and Its Continuation (Istoriya pochatka i ee prodolzhenie), 1956. In Russian

Гришин Д. И. История початка и ее продолжение. / Рисунки А. Сименцова-Огневского и О. Новозонова.
Москва : Детгиз, 1956.
96 с. : ил. Твёрдый издательский переплёт, обычный формат. (Школьная библиотека).
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Grishin, D. I. The History of the Corncob and Its Continuation (Istoriya pochatka i ee prodolzhenie). / Illustrated by A. Simentov-Ognevsky and O. Novozonov.
Moscow: Detgiz, 1956.
96 pp.: ill. Publisher’s hardcover, standard format. (School Library Series).

This 1956 first edition is a remarkable cultural and political artifact of the Thaw era. Published by Detgiz specifically for the "School Library" series, Dmitry Grishin’s book served as an educational cornerstone for the infamous "Corn Campaign" (kukuruznaya kampaniya) spearheaded by Nikita Khrushchev. The book was released at the very height of this agricultural mobilization, coinciding with the 1956 All-Union Corn Seminar, where maize was declared the "Queen of the Fields" and the primary weapon for achieving food abundance in the USSR.
The narrative is expertly crafted for a young audience, blending botanical science with global history and Soviet economic ideology. Grishin traces the origin of corn from the ancient civilizations of the Americas to its introduction to Europe and its eventual "conquest" of the Soviet Union. The book provides detailed information on the biology of the plant, its diverse varieties, and its myriad uses—from fodder and grain to industrial applications. The "continuation" mentioned in the title refers to the Soviet scientists and collective farmers who were tasked with adapting this warm-climate crop to the varied latitudes of the USSR.
The illustrations by A. Simentov-Ognevsky and O. Novozonov are typical of the 1950s Soviet realist style, combining instructional clarity with an optimistic, heroic tone. They depict successful harvests, advanced agricultural machinery, and the enthusiastic "Young Naturalists" (yunnaty) participating in the nationwide experiment. This book was not merely for reading; it was a manual for action, encouraging schoolchildren to start their own corn-growing plots and help the country "overtake and surpass" the West in meat and milk production.
Today, The History of the Corncob is a sought-after item for collectors of Soviet memorabilia and historians of the Khrushchev era. It stands as a vivid testament to a period of radical agricultural experimentation and the state's use of children's literature to foster a new generation of "fighters for abundance."