Blast Off with 50 Spectacular Space Books for Kids

Inside: 50 spectacular space books for kids.

Our collection of space books for kids is a big win in our house!! Perfect for astronauts in training of all ages – these are great books for kids simply obsessed with space, as well as being super handy if you  are planning a space themed learning unit. These books for kids will have your kids interested, engaged, and excited for weeks to come and you are sure to discover some new favorites on this list.

The BEST Space Books for Kids

Below you’ll find fifty space books for kids sorted across the following categories;

• Space Age Picture Books for All Ages
• Space Books for Preschool and Kindergarten
• Non Fiction: Informational Books About Space
• Books About Astronomy
• Picture Book Space Biographies

As with all of the books in our Best Books for Kids collection, each title on this list is linked to both Amazon and The Book Depository (these are affiliate links) where you can find reviews and age recommendations for titles you are not familiar with.

Out of This World: Picture Books Inspired by Space

If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon by Joyce Lapin: Come to the party while learning all about the moon in this fun picture book introducing facts about space through a fun birthday themed tale. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Stardust by Jeanne Willis: A little girl dreams of being a star but however hard she tries her big sister always shines brighter. To  her grandad she is a star and he tells her a story – that everything and everyone is made of stardust, and we all shine in different ways. It’s a lesson this little girl will never forget, and one day  she finally realises her ambition to become an astronaut and fly  to the stars. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Moonwalkers by Mark Greenwood: When Apollo 11 blasts off for the moon, the whole world is watching, including three children all the way across the other side of the planet who decide to be astronauts too! A fun exploration of an important historic event as experienced through the imaginative experience of the world of young children. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Zelda’s Big Adventure by Marie Alafaci: A modern twist on the traditional The Little Red Hen story featuring an endearing and resourceful chicken determined to fulfill her dream – to be the first chicken on the moon! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Penguinaut! by Marcie Colleen: A tiny penguin in a zoo dreams of big adventures – like flying to the moon all by himself! Can one small penguin get their all alone? Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

You Are the First Kid On Mars by Patrick O’Brien: Can you imagine being the first kid to go to Mars? Now you can! Head off on an incredible journey, over 35 million miles to the amazing red planet. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara: GREEP BOINK MEEP! The three little aliens are happily settling into their new homes when the Big Bad Robot flies in to crack and smack and whack their houses down! Their mama warned them about that robot! A fun intergalactic twist on the classic Three Little Pigs story. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

You Choose in Space by Nick Sharrat & Pippa Goodhart: Zoom into space for an adventure that YOU choose! There are literally hundreds of adventures to be discovered with this clever choose-your-own-adventure format. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Mousetronaut by Mark Kelly: A fun story based on true events. Mousetronaut tells the story of a small mouse that wants nothing more than to travel to outer space. The little mouse works as hard as the bigger mice to show readiness for the mission . . . and is chosen for the flight! While in space, the astronauts are busy with their mission when disaster strikes–and only the smallest member of the crew can save the day. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield: Chris loves to play at being an astronaut but he’s actually afraid of the dark. But when Chris watches the first televised moon landing, he discovers that there is a dark out in Space that is much darker than he’s used to. It’s the darkest dark ever, and he realizes that the unknown can be exciting! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen: Kids will love learning fun facts about space with the Magic School Bus class and the wonderful Ms Frizzle – a true classic. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

For Little Astronauts: Space Books for Preschool & Kindergarten

Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson: A gentle journey through the night sky with lots of lovely interactive prompts to involve your toddler in the story. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

On the Launch Pad by Michael Dahl: Make counting fun with this fun book about space! Younger children will love learning to count while engaged with a topic they love – space! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers: There once was a boy who loved stars so much that he wished he had one of his very own. Every night he watched the stars in the sky from his bedroom window and dreamed of how he could be their friend. So, one day, he decided to set about catching a star of his very own! A story of big dreams and unexpected discoveries. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers: When a young boy finds himself inexplicably stuck on the moon, he realises that he is not alone, forming a plan with a new friend to get back home…together. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle: Can Papa climb all the way up to the moon so his daughter can play with it? The story literally unfolds with the magical, unique pages of this book, and introduces the phases of the moon within a lovely tale of love between father and child. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman: A delightfully silly, rhyming story about aliens visiting Earth for one purpose…to steal underpants! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Look Up! by Nathan Bryon: Science-mad Rocket dreams of the day she’ll be he greatest astronaut, star-catcher, space-traveller that has ever lived! But first she needs convince her big brother to stop looking down at his phone and start looking up at the stars! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Roaring Rockets by Tony Mitton & Ant Parker: Learn all about spaceships in this fun and exciting book!! Kids will love learning about rockets blasting off into space. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

What is the Moon? by Katie Daynes: Learn all about the magic of our moon – from why it changes shape to when man first landed and what they found there. A fabulous introduction for younger children. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

What Are Stars? by Katie Daynes: They twinkle in the night sky, but what exactly are stars? Which one’s the nearest? Can humans visit a star? Children can lift over 30 flaps to find the answers to these questions and many more in this delightful introduction to stars and the night sky. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Meet the Planets by Caryl Hart: Meet all the planets in the solar system through riveting rhymes and bright, colorful illustrations. Available: Amazon  |  The Book Depository

Me and My Place in Space by Joan Sweeney: Where is the earth? Where is the sun? Where are the stars? With Earth as a starting point, a young astronaut leads readers on a tour past each planet and on to the stars, answering simple questions about our solar system along the way. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Smart Kids Space by Roger Priddy: Explore this amazing universe with this fun and engaging book!! Toddlers will be amazed by these fun space facts paired with colorful illustrations. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Swift Walker: A Space Adventure by Verlyn Tarlton: Follow along with Swift Walker on a journey that is out of this world, and learn about all the planets in our solar system while you’re along for the ride. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

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Non-Fiction: Informational Books About Space

The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk: The Sun never stops working to keep things on Earth running smoothly – giving us day and night, keeping us warm, and more! A funny and factual picture book about all the reasons why The Sun has been Employee of the Month for the last 4.5 billion years! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Daredevil’s Guide to Outer Space by Lonely Planet Kids: A brand new offering from the team at Lonely Planet Kids. Travel across the Solar System, find out what it’s like to live on the Moon, visit the International Space Station and fly through Saturn’s rings, then head deeper into space but watch out for the black holes and exploding stars. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

100 Things to Know About Space by Howard Hughes: Illustrated in a pictorial, infographic style, with snippets of bite sized information about all aspects of Space exploration and the science of the Universe. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Skies Above My Eyes by Charlotte Gullain: Take a journey up into the air, past the technology that fills our skies, exploring the layers of the atmosphere, way up into space and then back down to Earth again. From jet trails to comets’ tails, there are so many amazing sights to see as you journey through the skies. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space by Dominic Walliman: Take a journey into the frontiers of space with Professor Astro Cat – the smartest cat in the alley, exploring fun topics such as gravity, extraterrestrial life and time, across the Earth, Sun and out across the expanse of our solar system, galaxy and universe! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Professor Astro Cat’s Space Rockets by Domini Walliman: This time Professor Astro Cat is sharing easy-to-understand facts about rockets, astronauts, satellites and the space station. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

How We Got to the Moon by John Rocco: A wonderfully detailed and beautifully illustrated exploration of the history of space travel suitable for middle grade and older space fans. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Usborne Official Astronauts Handbook by Louie Stowell: Great for middle schoolers, readers can discover how you become an astronaut, the training you must undertake, how you travel into space and what you do when you’re up there. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy: Do you have what it takes to be an astronaut? Your on your way to astronaut school to take a ride on the “Vomit Come,t” learn how it feels to be weightless, try a bite of astronaut food and have your measurements taken–100 of your hand alone–for your very own space suit! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Astronauts by A.D. Largie: Introduce kids to astronauts, rockets, planets, aliens, spaceships, and space with this adventurous book! Great for entertaining curious imaginations. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

How to be a Space Explorer by Lonely Planet Kids: Have a child who dreams of being an astronaut? Fuel their curiosity with this book – talking all about the little details. They’ll even learn how to pee in a spacesuit! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Look Inside Space by Rob Lloyd Jones: A fun flap book packed with interesting information about space, and the amazing things that float through it – stars, moons, comets, and the planets of our solar system. Available: Amazon  |  The Book Depository

What’s Out There? by Lynn Wilson: This is a great books for kids interested in the sun and moon – explaining what causes night and day, the changes in the shape of the moon, and so much more. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

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Kids Books About Astronomy

Astronomy for Kids by Dr. Bruce Betts: The little stargazer in your life will LOVE this book – showing them all about what you can find in the sky (northern hemisphere). Pair it with a new telescope or a pair of binoculars for an epic birthday gift. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Everything Kids’ Astronomy Book by Kathi Wagner: This is the PERFECT book for kids who want to know everything they can about space. They will be learning more and more for months to come! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Constellations for Kids: An Easy Guide to Discovering the Stars by Kelsey Johnson: Learn to read the night sky with this cool guide to finding 25 different constellations, as you also learn about the mythology behind how each constellation was named. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

50 Things to See With a Telescope by John A Read: Discover galaxies, nebulae and constellations with this uniquely presented guide to the night sky. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

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Picture Book Space Biographies for Kids

I am Neil Armstrong by Brad Meltzer: Ordinary People Change the World is a great book series for young children It focuses on traits that kids can mimic in their favorite role models.  Featuring the story of Neil Armstrong and his walk on the moon – a great story for children to aspire to. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Reaching for the Moon by Buzz Aldrin: This is the autobiographical story of Buzz Aldrin and his determined journey to become an astronaut and visit the moon. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Dogs in Space: The Amazing True Story of Belka and Strelka by Vix Southgate: The incredible true story of two heroic stray dogs who became an integral part of the Russian space programs – and celebrities as a result. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing by Dean Robbins: The true story of Margaret Hamilton whose love of math to solve problems led her to NASA where she developed computer code that powered the Apollo missions into space. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Blast Off! How Mary Sherman Fueled America Into Space: The inspirational story of Mary Sherman, the female scientist charged with creating a fuel launch a rocket carrying America’s first satellite into space. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Stetterly: The incredibly inspiring true story of four black women mathematicians who helped NASA successfully launch the first astronauts into space now shared in picture book form. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson: As a boy Carl Sagan never stopped marvelling at the wonder of the universe and seeking to understand it better. Carl Sagan went on to become a scientist who worked on projects important to our understanding of space and was the host of a television show that educated others on the wonder of space. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Boy Whose Head Was Filled With Stars – A Life of Edwin Hubble by Deborah Marcero: This is the story of Edwin Hubble, a boy fascinated by the stars who followed his dreams of becoming an astronomer. Endlessly observing the sky, he was the first to confirm important observations about space, including that there are more galaxies than our own, and that the universe is always expanding.  Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca: The story of the first American manned moon landing, Apollo 11 in 1969. This fabulous picture book presents the often astonishing, accurate details in poetic prose to engage space fans of all ages. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

There you have it! 50 spectacular space books for kids, any of which would make a great addition to your bookshelf. For more science and nature themed booklists be sure to check out collection of ocean books for kids and this inspiring list of nature scientist picture book biographies.

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