After a book from my youth

OK, I'll get the ball rolling on a children's book that I'm after.  Although I'm not expecting a result straight away...

I've been after this book (or details about it) for nigh on twenty years.  I can only describe it, so maybe someone can fill in the blanks?

The book was a picture book (about the same size as a hardback Tintin).  I think it was based on Jules Verne's 'Voyage To The Moon' or similar.

It would have been published probably in the 60's or 70's.  The illustrations in the book were extremely complex - a bit like Herge's stuff, but even more intricate (if that's possible).  I remember reading it in a library when I was about 10-11 years old and being captivated by the illustrations.

The book had huge double-page illustrations (I can remember one of an island with an intricately drawn city and another of a cannon that 'shot' a spaceship towards the moon).  The illustrations had a very European feel to them, so it may have been a foreign book translated into English, etc.

I've tried every search I can think of, with no success.  I'd love to obtain a copy for my collection of childhood memorabilia!

Cheers,
Craig.

I've got a book with some of that kind of art....Huge spaceships and space stations....Very dirty tech....Almost looks like conceptual art for a movie....No story though!
                 
I'll have a look when I go to my parents' house....

I remember the illustrations having a very Victorian/Steam-punk feel to them...there were no space stations as I recall.  If I remember correctly the premise of the story was that the characters were 'racing to the moon'.  I know that Jules Verne's original story centred on a spaceship being shot out of an enormous cannon, which also featured in the book I am hunting.

Hmmm....Possibly not what I'm thinking about then....BUT...Whilst looking for something similar I found this:
            

Look familar?
              
It's from 'By Spaceship to the Moon' by Jack Coggins 1952...And it looks amazing!
             
And there's on on ebay:
         
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BY-SPACE-SHIP-TO-THE-MOON-VINTAGE-BOOK-BY-JACK-COGGINS_W0QQitemZ280303470832QQihZ018QQcategoryZ416QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Getting closer, mate!
But the illustrations were very 'Tintin' in appearance, if that makes sense.  Almost cartoon in appearance.

More pics:

Hmmm....I'll keep looking...

Definitely not "Destination Moon" or "Exploreres on the Moon" by Herge.??..

Ok...

Here are a couple of interesting sites..
This place appears to have all manner of weird and wonderful future tech from the middle of last century..
(takes a little loading)
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/11/retro-future-to-stars.html

And this based on the 1950's film of the same name.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cafes.net/ditch/ley1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cafes.net/ditch/F50.htm&usg=__CAJiAjGZaTsqZFsuZ5VL4YodG2Y=&h=280&w=202&sz=27&hl=en&start=39&um=1&tbnid=ly_3j-7I7sdhrM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=82&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522Destination%2BMoon%2522%2BFrench%2BPicture%2Bbook%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Was it a story book or future version type thing?

Nup, definitely not Tintin (I have both the 'moon' books).
It was a story book and I'm 99% sure it was based on Jules Verne's story.
Have been hunting on Ebay for the past few days - nothing.  I'm more convinced now that it was a foreign title that had been translated into English, hence it's rarity in the English-speaking world.  I'll keep looking!

Craig, you could check this site out for Verne material (it's a brilliant site anyway for FREE downloadable eBooks in the public domain.)
 
http://www.classicreader.com/
Could be "The Moon Voyages"
Another link here for Verne related books...
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/v/jules-verne/from-earth-to-moon-round-moon.htm

Thanks Ian, I'll have a good look through those links!