8 of the Best Space Books for Kids

Self-portrait of the Mars Curiosity rover, taken on Sol 2082 (June 15, 2018) in the Gale Crater. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

My kiddo is obsessed with everything space related. Working model of the solar system? Check. Models of the Mars rovers? Check. Constellation projector? Check. NASA pajamas? Check, and check.

We also own a lot of space books and have read even more. The number of children’s space books is overwhelming, and many are subpar, so I’ve curated this short list of recommendation that varies in concepts and complexity to help you get started. I hope you find something the space cadet in your life will enjoy! These books are well loved at my house.

Also, please consider supporting your local bookseller whenever you can. I’ve featured a variety of Twin Cities bookstores with my recommendation, but even if you can’t find a particular title in your favorite store, most booksellers can order from their distributor and have it for pickup or shipped to your home. You can also visit our map of independent bookstores in Minnesota to find more stores near you.

1. My Very First Space Book by Emily Bone

A large board book filled with illustrations and simple sentences, My Very First Space Book has a basic map of the solar system and illustrations related to the moon and the planets. There are a few pages dedicated to explaining astronaut training, how rockets work, and living in space. There is also a section about the star cycle and illustrations of different galaxy shapes. This book uses simple terms without talking down to young astronomers.

Available at Red Balloon Children’s Bookshop in St. Paul

Usborne Publishers

2. There’s No Place Like Space by Tish Rabe, Illustrated by Aristides Ruiz

This book isn’t by Dr. Seuss, but it is written and illustrated in the same style as Dr. Seuss’s stories. In There’s No Place Like Space!, the Cat in the Hat takes the two children on a whimsical rhyming adventure through the solar system. There is a little fact about each planet in the story—for example, that Mercury is hot on one side but cold on the other, and Jupiter is larger than all the other planets combined. It’s a great introduction to the planets without being complicated. It could also be a good book for children learning to read.

Available for order through Moon Palace Books in Longfellow, Minneapolis 

Random House Books

3. Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum

This book has a special place in my heart because it kicked off my kid’s space-loving obsession. She saw it in our Free Little Library and was immediately drawn to the cover (she also loves robots). Curiosity takes a different approach by telling the rover’s story from the first-person point of view. I think it works well; my kid feels a personal connection to the Mars rover! The book details Curiosity’s design, launch, and landing on Mars. Because of this book, we’ve been checking in with the Curiosity and Perseverance missions for years.

Available in store at Magers & Quinn in Uptown, Minneapolis

Candlewick Press

4. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly with Winifred Conkling, Illustrated by Laura Freeman

An essential book for young space lovers, this text is filled with gorgeous illustrations of four women who made traveling to the moon possible. A children’s version of the adult book that inspired the 2016 movie of the same name, Hidden Figures talks straightforwardly about the racism and sexism Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden faced while working for the US government. It explains their jobs as “human computers,” which I love! It helps foster a love of math and shows what math can do.

Available at Wild Rumpus Children’s Bookstore in Linden Hills, Minneapolis

HarperCollins Publishers

5. Balloon to the Moon by Gill Arbuthnott, Illustrated by Christopher Nielsen

Balloon to the Moon takes the reader on a journey through humanity’s technological advances in air and space and ends with the moon landing. The book’s chapter numbers use a clever gimmick by counting backward to liftoff, which my kid loves. In the first half, readers learn about the first balloon flight, the first flying machines, and how rocket technology developed over centuries. The rest of the book covers the race to the moon itself. Each page features large illustrations with bold colors. It’s a favorite in our house.

Available to order from limited online booksellers, including Books-A-Million

Big Picture Press

6. Curious Questions and Answers about Astronauts by Sue Becklake, Illustrations by Pauline Reeves

If your cadet is interested in how astronauts live in space, this book is for them! There’s a two-page spread that details how spacesuits work and information about what astronauts eat, how they exercise, and what their jobs on the International Space Station are. There’s even an illustration of a space toilet. All the information is presented in a question/answer format with cute illustrations and fun fonts. If your kiddo enjoys this book, there are three others in the same series from Miles Kelly Publishing: Curious Questions and Answers about the Solar System, Curious Questions and Answers about the Moon, and Curious Questions and Answers about Space Machines. The four books can also be purchased in one giant volume.

Available to order from the Irreverent Bookworm in South Minneapolis

Miles Kelly Publishing

7. Mysteries of the Universe by Will Gater, Illustrated by Angela Rizza and Daniel Long

Out of all the space books we own, this is my favorite. I love how each page is laid out. I love the shiny gold edges and the fabric bookmark. Mysteries of the Universe focuses entirely on the celestial and features breathtaking photographs for almost every subject. The book starts with Earth’s atmosphere and works its way outward, through the planets and their important moons, the Kuiper Belt, the Oort Cloud, exoplanets, other galaxies, and all the way to the grand cosmic web. The print is large, with about two paragraphs’ worth of information per page. We’ve read through this entire book several times and are reading through it again!

Available at Valley Bookseller in Stillwater

DK Publishing

8. Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space by Dr. Dominic Walliman, Designed and Illustrated by Ben Newman

This book is written by a quantum device physicist, and thus, it focuses more on astrophysics. Professor Astro Cat and his mouse assistants teach children about the Big Bang, the speed of light, GPS satellites, how rockets use explosions, and how different space telescopes see different parts of the light spectrum. This book also has a page dedicated to each planet and information about the Apollo missions. Finally, Professor Astro Cat discusses how different types of life could evolve on planets different from our own.

Available for order through Excelsior Bay Books in Excelsior

Flying Eye Books

If you have a kid’s space book to recommend, please comment down below with the title and why you or your kid loves it! We’d also love to hear about your favorite independent bookseller.