Nikolai(y) Nikolaevich Nosov (Russian: Николай Николаевич Носов,Николай Носов, Ukrainian: Микола Миколайович Носов; 23 November [O.S. 10 November] 1908, Kiev – 26 July 1976, Moscow) was a Soviet children's literature writer, the author of a number of humorous short stories, a school novel, and the popular trilogy of fairy tale novels about the adventures of Neznaika and his friends.
I read the English translation of this 1949 Soviet children's book 'The Diary of Kolya Sinitsyn'. It follows Kolya's adventures over the school holidays where he and his Young Pioneer friends attempt to keep bees. It's a wonderful book with a real flavour of the time and place!