Cheburashka

The kids first met the charming heroes of one of the most popular and beloved children’s books “Genna the Crocodile and His Friends” many, many years ago—around 1966. Eduard Nikolayevich Uspensky was then just 27 years old. He had recently graduated from an aviation institute, receiving a diploma as an engineer.
How did it happen that E. Uspensky, within a few years, became one of the most widely read children’s prose writers and poets? This question was asked of him mainly by journalists when they went to publish yet another interview or article. For Eduard Uspensky himself, entering children’s literature caused no doubts—though, as already mentioned, he wasn’t “studying to be a writer.”