Space is full of so many mysteries, and these new space books for kids are full of fun and interesting stories about space, rockets, astronauts, and more.

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My First Book of Planets

Written by Bruce Betty, PhD

This informative guide to planets and the solar system uses easy to read language to introduce little ones to each of the planets in the solar system. Each planet gets its own profile with short paragraphs and detailed info such as the size and distance from the sun. There are also fun facts and interesting comparisons that will help young kids visualize the size of the planets.

Goodnight Spaceman

Written by Michelle Robinson and illustrated by Nick East

This bedtime book starts with a letter from Colonel Cady Coleman, a former NASA astronaut, sharing how she shared books with her son from space. The large rhyming text bids goodnight to all kinds of things related to space travel from shuttles and rockets to astronaut gear and individual planets. The adorable illustrations show two young siblings pretending that they are flying through space as they say goodnight, eventually falling asleep holding a picture of their own dad who is up in space on a mission.

Check out these printable space bookmarks for kids to color!

Rocket Ship, Solo Trip

Written by Chiara Colombi and illustrated by Scott Magoon

This rhyming picture book follows a cartoon rocket ship as she blasts off on her first solo mission. When it comes time to reenter she is worried, but some advice from Ground Control helps her succeed. The rhyming test is paired with illustrations that show the cute rocket ship expressing her big emotions as she goes out on her own.

Ada and the Galaxies

Written by Alan Lightman and Olga Pastuchiv and illustrated by Susanna Chapman

Join a young girl named Ada as she heads to Maine to visit her grandparents and has a chance to see the stars. All day her grandparents try to get her interested in beach activities, but she just wants to know when she can see the stars. But when the fog rolls in at night, she can’t see them. So she and her grandfather explore the stars through photographs in a book. The illustrations include real photographs taken from the Hubble telescope, bringing the beauty of the stars to life. The back of the book includes more information about the photographs used in the book, and about galaxies as well.

Letters from Space

Written by Clayton Anderson

This funny book imagines what kinds of letters the author would have sent home from the International Space Station had he been able to send letters during his time there. Each page is marked with the number of days in flight, and includes a funny letter full of facts and incredible true stories about life in space. Kids will love the funny letters and the hilarious illustrations, especially since they were written by a real astronaut! The back of the book includes additional notes from the author about space, NASA, and topics touched on in the book.

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The Universe and You

Written by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman

This beautiful book uses lyrical prose and dark, colorful illustrations to teach kids about the Earth, the sun, the solar system, and how all the pieces of the universe move and interact. The book follows a young girl as she sleeps through the night, dreaming big dreams, and the text explains how the Earth spins, the planets orbit the sun, and the stars swirl in the Milky Way, all while we are sleeping and living our lives without noticing. The back of the book offers more information about the Earth, the sun and the Milky Way.

The Black Hole Debacle

Written by Keri Claiborne Boyle and illustrated by Deborah Melmon

In this hilarious book, a young girl named Jordie loves all things space related. So she is thrilled when she finds a black hole living in her desk at school! But when she brings the black hole home with her and it starts eating everything (including her dog), she decides enough is enough. Kids will appreciate the silly story and funny illustrations, and the back of the book includes lots of factual information about black holes!

Check out this printable tracing book about space for kids!

Meanwhile Back on Earth…

Written by Oliver Jeffers

This interesting exploration of the solar system tells the story of two siblings riding in the backseat of their dad’s car. When the dad gets tired of the kids fighting over space, he blasts the car into space, driving them to each planet in the solar system. But for each hundred or thousand years that they drive, the dad shares what was happening back on Earth that many years before (almost always people fighting over space).

Little Black Hole

Written by Molly Webster and illustrated by Alex Willmore

This sweet book tells the story of a little black hole who loves all the things in her universe. She loves making friends with stars, comets, astronauts, or anything else that she encounters. But just as she gets close to these things, they disappear. When she meets a big black hole, he helps her to see that all her friends are always with her, wherever she goes. The back of the book includes more information about black holes.

Do You Know? Space and Sky

Written by Virginie Loubier

This nonfiction book uses colorful cartoon illustrations and simple text to introduce young readers to all things space and sky related. The book is broken down into 4 sections: The Sky, The Solar System, Studying the Universe, and Exploring Space. Each page has an illustrated sidebar answering frequently asked questions such as “Why does the sun shine?” and “Where does the sun go at night?”.

The Book of Blast Off!

Written by Timothy Knapman and illustrated by Nik Henderson

This rhyming book teaches kids about 15 iconic space missions from Sputnik and the moon landing to Perseverance’s exploration of Mars. The rhyming text shares important facts in a fun way, and the adorable illustrations also includes labels for parts on the rockets and satellites. The back of the book includes more information about the space missions detailed in the book, as well as a glossary and suggestions for further reading.

The Fire of Stars

Written by Kirsten W. Larson and illustrated by Katherine Roy

This picture book biography introduces kids to the work of astronomer and astrophysicist Cecilia Payne who was the first person to discover what stars are made of. The book follows her from childhood to adulthood, pairing important moments in her life with important moments in the life of a star. The illustrations show her learning and growing, alongside illustrations of a star being born and growing. In the back of the book, there is more information about Cecilia Payne and her life’s work, as well as detailed information about stars and how they form.

The Cosmic Adventures of Astrid and Stella

Written by Sabrina Moyle and illustrated by Eunice Moyle

This brightly colored graphic novel set in space follows two best friends, Astrid and Stella, as they jet off to new planets such as Caturn and Bloop. Kids will love the silly wordplay between the friends, as well as their dance breaks and working out their friendship troubles.

The Cosmic Adventures of Astrid and Stella: Get Outer My Space

Written by Sabrina Moyle and illustrated by Eunice Moyle

When the Wi-Fi goes out on their space ship, best friends Astrid and Stella decide to make an emergency landing. They soon encounter a mysterious villain, visit a new planet, and tackle friendship issues as they travel through space. The brightly colored illustrations and funny dialogue will have kids laughing out loud.

When Moon Became the Moon

Written by Rob Hodgson

This simple chapter book uses playful language and imagery to teach young readers about Earth’s moon. The text and illustrations show Earth and the other planets as characters making friends with their moons, but there are still lots of facts in the story as well. Kids will love the adorable illustrations and the short, engaging chapters.

The Sun and the Planets

Written by Patricia Geis

This nonfiction book uses interactive models and pop ups to teach kids about space and the solar system. The text is full of information and definitions, using different font styles to make it more inviting. The interactive illustrations are excellent at showing how the sun and planets move and the distance between planets and moons.

Unlocking the Universe

Written by Suzanne Slade

This beautiful book teaches readers about the James Webb Space Telescope. The text explores how the telescope came to be and the remarkable discoveries it has made since. There are tons of incredible, detailed photographs from the telescope included as well. The back of the book includes an author’s note, more information on the telescope and NASA, as well as additional resources for kids.

What are your favorite new space books for kids? Share them in the comments below!

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