Fascinating Space Books for Toddlers and Kids – Out of this world!

1. Bizzy Bear: Space Rocket – Benji Davies

Bizzy Bear, Rabbit and Mouse are ready to go on to space in a space rocket! It’s a short board book with mechanisms that any toddler that loves space will enjoy. My son loves the countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – Blast off! The illustrations are lovely and full of colour and details that keep them entertained, and the short rhymes will make it easy for them to know by heart. It’s a fantastic kids first book about space.

2. Stars – Peppa Pig

George is obsessed about space, and Peppa can’t understand why, until Daddy Pig tells her about stars and they go and visit Grandpa who lets them look through their telescope. A very sweet and basic story that will introduce your little one to some concepts about space. They learn about the North Star, Saturn’s rings and telescopes. It is exactly like the episode from Peppa Pig with the same name.

3. 8 Little Planets – Chris Ferrie & Lizzy Doyle

A vibrant little board book that introduces all 8 planets from the farthest to the closest to the sun. All in rhyme it shares a couple of little facts of each one and the illustrations are simple and very colourful. They grasp their attention instantly. Also the sun is cut out in the center, so every page you turn gets us closer to the sun and they love it. It is a great first book to introduce them to the planets.

4. Peppa in Space – Peppa Pig

George and Edmund Elephant are playing with their space rockets. They love space. Daddy Pig has an idea and takes them all to the museum where there is a space themed exhibit! They learn about the 8 planets, about gravity and the moon. But what they like most is jumping up and down in the pretend moon exhibit! Again, it is exactly like the episode with the same name.

5.There is No Place Like Space – Tish Rabe & Aristides Ruiz

The Cat in the Hat takes us on a trip around Space with Thing One, Thing Two, Dick and Sally! A rhyming book in a style true to Dr Seuss. This is a revised edition with our current 8 planets in our solar system. The book was originally published including Pluto but after the decision in 2006 to downgrade its status from planet to dwarf planet it was revised.

6. Look Inside Space (Usborne) – Rob Lloyd Jones

One of his latest fascinations is this lift the flap book about space. The astronauts, the planets, the rockets and spacecrafts all have him mesmerised. It might be for older children but he really enjoys looking at it by himself and pointing out the things that he knows the word for. He especially found it funny to discover during his potty training days that astronauts need to be strapped with a seat belt to go to the toilet up on the international space station. Who knew? (Not me).

7. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space (First Big Books) – National Geographic Kids

This is a fantastic non-fiction book filled with true facts and real pictures that will help your little one explore our universe! You’ll meet the moon, Earth’s neighbours – the planets and other objects like asteroids and comets -, and what we can find far far away. It suggests activities and asks questions to keep children engaged and also to help them understand better what is being explained. This book is great for young national geographic readers or to read aloud at bedtime in chunks.

8. Super Space Sticker Activity Book: Over 1,000 stickers! – National Geographic Kids

This activity book is great for space lovers! It is packed with over 1000 stickers, filled with a whole bunch of facts about space and fun activities to keep them entertained for hours – like coloring sheets and mazes. It is a great educational and fun book for them to enjoy. I’d say it is great to take on travels and enjoy during rainy days indoors. There are many more books in this collection like dogs, cats, ocean animals and dinos. Great gift for them to learn while having fun!

9. Moon! Earth’s Best Friend – Stacy McNulty & Stevie Lewis

Fantastic book to learn about the moon! Moon tells us about how she came to be, about her phases, satellites, about other moons in the solar system, how she is important to Earth and she gives us size and distance references. It’s filled with facts shared with a tone of humour and accompanied by lovely illustrations that you and your children will enjoy. It is a really charming book.

10. Here We Are – Oliver Jeffers

Although most of this book happens on Earth, there are some mentions to outer space and a tiny space rocket (which is the key motive why I’ve included this book on the list). This book is a masterpiece. A true work of art. The illustrations are so unique that I could look at them for hours. This book is a collection of notes from a father to his son, to let him know how living on our planet Earth works. It talks about our terrain, about day and night, about our body and what we need to function, about animals and about people. “You are never alone on Earth”. It is hopeful and beautiful. Apple+ has also animated and adapted this book into a beautiful 30 minute short movie that is a must see and ideal for curious 5 year olds and up. Check out more short movies here.

11. The Smeds and the Smoos – Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

In a far of planet live the red Smeds and the blue Smoos. They are physically different and like doing different things and also enjoy eating different foods. Smeds and Smoos simply don’t mix or interact, they stay appart from each other. But one day Bill (a Smoo) and Janet (a Smed) meet in the wurpular wood and discover that they like being together even though their families want them to be apart. This is a beautiful story about diversity, accepting differences and it teaches that love has nothing to do with one’s skin colour (and there are space rockets 😉 ). If you love Julia Donaldson, check out our favourite books from her.

12. Discover our Solar System – Colin Stuart & Charlie Brandon-King

Lovely book with many facts that will illuminate you all about the Solar System. It starts explaining the Big Bang and then we learn more about each planet. For each of them we see it’s structure, their day length, year length, average temperature and much much more. There is also a very well explained section about space exploration, with the Space Race, space rockets and the International Space Station. It ends with a fantastic glossary which makes it is a great reference book to have around.

13. See Inside the Universe (Usborne) – Alex Frith & Lee Cosgrove

Where is the Universe? What’s everything made of? Is there life anywhere other than Earth? The book tackles these and many other questions in a fun and engaging format of lift the flaps that we love at home. From learning more about the Milky Way, the Big Bang to atoms you’ll learn many things. Every time we open the book we learn something new. It’s fantastic

14. The Mysteries of the Universe: Discover the best-kept secrets of space – Will Gater

This book is beautiful and captivating. I, as an adult lover of books, have enjoyed reading it and having it in my hands. It is a simple guide with amazing photography and illustrations that take the whole page to explain key concepts and objects that live with us in our universe. The binding is beautiful and it is an amazing keepsake. This book will stay on our living room library for years to come. It is wonderful.

15. What We See In The Stars – Kelsey Osaid

Now this book is a lovely compilation of the stories, myths and legends behind the names of the constellations and objects in our sky. It is not aimed at kids but I feel that it is a nice book of stories to share when stargazing together. You also learn about other things like the phases of the moon, eclipses, and messages for the stars. They will enjoy the illustrations around the constellations and will make their imagination fly. I’ve really enjoyed it.