My kids are nuts about space. We talk about it all the time. Dark matter is a favourite. Do your kids like space? I thought I would share what we are reading at the moment. A list of amazing outer space books for kids – stories are a magnificent way to introduce a novel concept or topic while non-fiction can inspire with mind-blowing facts and outstanding images.
Outer Space is always a favourite topic in our home! Learning about the stars, planets and astronauts is always exciting, as it is just one of those final frontiers that we don’t quite know what is out there and it is full of mystery.
HERE IS OUR PICK OF 20 AMAZING OUTER SPACE BOOKS FOR KIDS.
Roaring Rockets By Tony Mitton
This is quite an old book now, but it is such a favourite here. A fun rhyming story that presents as a picture book and is also full of factual information about space for younger readers. This book is part of the amazing machines series and each one has a great glossary of new vocabulary at the end.
Zoe And Beans: Pants On The Moon by Chloe and Mick Inkpen
A delightful story that starts with hanging out the laundry on a windy Thursday afternoon. Before they know it Zoe and Bean are whooshed into space by a gust of wind for a splendid adventure!
Whatever Next by Jill Murphy
Another old favourite, just waiting to stir your little astronaut’s imagination and creativity to make a rocket and fly to the moon before bath time, just like the baby bear in the story.
The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers
An adorable story of a boy who finds a plane in his closet and flies into outer space, runs out of petrol, and crash lands on the moon… Will he find his way back home?
Moustronaut by Mark Kelly
Retired Astronaut Mark Kelly really flew with Mice aboard space shuttle Endeavour in 2001. A charming, almost true tale about the perseverance and courage of Meteor, the smallest mouse whose hard work and dedication pay off, and he gains a spot to join the crew.
The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield
Beautifully written by another real-life astronaut – Chris Hadfield and inspired by his own childhood. A wonderful story about facing your fears and following your own dreams.
Through The Milky Way On A PB And J by James Mcdonald
Rhyming imaginative story that will engage all your little space adventurers as characters Sami and Thomas takes off across the galaxy on an epic journey.
George’s Secret Key To The Universe – A Series by Lucy and Stephen Hawking
The story of George, who is taken through the vastness of space by a scientist and his supercomputer Cosmos. Eminent physicist Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy combine fascinating science with adventure to introduce young readers to quantum physics in a fun and understandable way.
The Time And Space of Uncle Albert – A Series By Russell Stannard
An action-packed story designed to introduce kids to the theory of relativity in an information-rich adventure story. Uncle Albert needs someone to be beamed into an unknown world, and his brave niece agrees. The book answers questions such as Why can’t you catch up to a light beam? How can distances get shorter? A great bedtime read for Space fanatics.
The Time Machine – A Classic Starts abridged version retold from H.G.Wells
A shorter, more accessible format for younger readers still capturing the dramatic and gripping storyline of the wonder and trepidation of time travel. We have quite a few in this series and we love them. They take the best bits of the original and condensed it in a way that is accessible for children 8+.
Life on Mars, by Jon Agee
This is such a funny book. An astronaut goes to Mars to find aliens, but everywhere they look they find no life. Yet, there is a huge orange alien that the astronaut is missing. A silly book that would be a splendid start to a conversation about aliens.
Little Explorers – Outer Space
A charming little interactive book full of lift the flaps for hands-on fun while learning about space.
Factivity – Missions In Space
This book has 100’s of bite-size facts under 70 interactive flaps. A beautifully illustrated journey into space for little ones.
The Ultimate Book Of Space
A fascinating look into deep space to encourage your curious little astronauts to find out about the international space station, landing on the moon, the galaxy, and beyond. An engaging book overflowing with movable parts, flaps to lift, and pop-ups across every page.
Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing, by Dean Robbins
A marvellous picture book for older readers. A child-friendly biography of Margaret Hamilton, the pioneering software engineer whose code enabled the success of the lunar landings. I didn’t know all about the back story. The book started lots of glorious conversations.
A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars
A beautifully illustrated first infographic factbook for the young. A book that encourages us all to observe the pure wonderment of our planet and outer space and beyond. This book will surely be a talking point and broaden little minds.
The Space Book
One for older readers. My boys love the amazing images that showcase 250 milestones in the history of outer space and astronomy. This book truly captures how amazing the universe is. The photography of this book is breathtaking. A great Christmas present idea for any upper primary kids who love space.
National Geographic Kids – Everything Space
Explore outer space with fun facts, amazing photos, and fascinating diagrams and maps. We recently borrowed this book from our local library and we poured over it for hours.
The Usborne Astronomy And Space Sticker Book
We love sticker books. There is something quite relaxing about peeling stickers and finding the correct place beside each piece of information. We received this for Christmas and have devoured it ever since.
Exploring Constellations, by Sara Latta
This was a recent buy for us. After a lot of looking, we decided on this one as it contains both our Southern sky and the Northern sky. A very accessible way book for kids wanting to know more about the night sky.