A couple years ago, I created a list of the picture books we love about rockets and Mars exploration. At the time, my kids were quite a bit younger.
I was working on my own picture book about building a colony on Mars—The Rocket that Flew to Mars.
Space is fascinating, though, and there’s always more to learn! We’ve continued to read more books about space, the solar system, and the planets.
So, here’s an the updated list with our favorite space books. It has more than 40 children’s books ranging from preschool nursery rhymes to middle-school nonfiction stories. They’re sorted both by age and by general topic with picture books first, followed by longer books for independent readers.
Plus, at the very end, you can find links to a variety of solar-system and planetary activities.
(This post includes affiliate links. I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a small commission for purchases made through these links. There is no extra cost to use these links.)
If you want to avoid shopping on Amazon, I suggest checking Bookshop or your local bookstores instead.
The Solar System (Picture Books):
If Pluto Was a Pea, by Gabrielle Prendergast, illustrated by Rebecca Gerlings – the sun is huge. The earth is small. But, how big and how small? This book uses common household items to show kids the scale of the universe.
The Story of Space, by Catherine Barr, Steve Williams, and Amy Husband – a fun book packed with information. It’s a great resources for learning about the formation of the solar system.
The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System, by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen – who wants to travel? Like all Magic School Bus books, this is a humorous way to introduce children to this topic.
The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal, by Nick Seluk – the sun wants to introduce itself to you! This is a goofy, cartoon-style introduction to the sun and the solar system.
My Light, by Molly Bang – a fascinating nonfiction book about the sun’s role in the energy cycle. It provides warmth, food, and electricity in a multitude of ways. This book is part of a series about solar energy. I recommend checking out the other three books as well.
Moon! Earth’s Best Friend, by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Stevie Lewis – meet the earth’s only natural satellite! In this beautiful picture book, the moon explains where she came from. What’s her favorite thing to do? Hang out planet Earth, of course! (This book is part of the Our Universe series, all of which are fantastic informational fiction books.)
The Moon Seems to Change, by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by Barbara and Ed Emberley – a Level 2 beginning reader about the moon and the lunar cycles. It also explores how kids can see these changes using simple experiments.
Stars! Stars! Stars!, by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace – visit a a planetarium with Minna and her friends. They’ll learn about stargazing and different types of stars.
Stars Before Bedtime: A Mindful Fall-Asleep Book, by Dr. Jessamy Hibberd, Claire Grace, and – a book for families that practice meditation. This book helps kids relax for bedtime, while also teaching them about the constellations.
Red Rover: Curiosity on Mars, by Richard Ho, illustrated by Katherine Roy – what is Mars like? This gorgeous book showing the Martian landscape as the simple, lyrical text explains the rover’s mission.
Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover, by Markus Motum – what is Curiosity? And what is it doing on Mars? This fun read-aloud story is told through the rover’s own voice, explaining why humans sent it to Mars.
Mission to Mars, by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by True Kelley, foreword by Neil Armstrong – what would it be like to travel to mars? This book from The Let’s Read and Find Out series is a great resource for all kinds of space info! This book explains what it will look like when humans travel to Mars.
Hey-ho, to Mars We’ll Go!, by Susan Lendroth, illustrated by Bob Kolar – a whimsical, space-age nursery rhyme. This version of the Farmer in the Dell tells of young astronauts traveling on a rocket to Mars.
You Are the First Kid on Mars, by Patrick O’Brien – an imaginative story about a kid traveling to Mars. This book has a little more text, but it’s a fun way to learn what space travel would be like.
Pluto Gets the Call, by Adam Rex, illustrated by Laurie Keller – is Pluto part of the solar system still? This whimsical story imagines Pluto’s reaction when he learns he’s no longer a planet.
Pluto’s Secret, by Margaret A. Weitekamp with David DeVorkin, illustrated by Diane Kidd – why isn’t Pluto a planet any longer? This is an excellent fictional introduction to Pluto’s discovery and eventual demotion.
The Cassini Mission, by Katie Venit, illustrated by Julia Blattman – the background and discoveries from the Cassini Mission. This book takes a closer look at space research and Saturn in particular. (New: releases August, 2025)
Astronauts & Scientists (Picture Books):
This group of books focuses on humans traveling in space, as well as working and studying space science.
Astronaut Handbook, by Meghan McCarthy – what would it be like to travel on the space shuttle? This is a fun, kid-friendly introduction to the NASA space program.
Astronaut Annie, by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell – can a girl reach the stars? This fictional story explores one girl’s dream for when she grows up.
If You Decide to Go to the Moon, by Faith McNulty, illustrated by Steve Kellogg – fun plus facts! This is an informational fiction book about traveling to the moon.
My Journey to the Stars, by Scott Kelly and Emily Easton, illustrated by André Ceolin – a real-life space adventure! This is the picture book version of astronaut Scott Kelly’s biography.
International Space Station (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2), by Dr. Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by True Kelley – a good beginning-reader introduction to the ISS. This is a nonfiction book full of facts about space exploration.
Max Goes to the Space Station, by Jeffrey Bennett, illustrated by Michael Carroll – dogs have traveled to space before. But, in this fictional story, Max gets to learn about life on the ISS. This book is part of a heart-warming, informative series about this space-faring dog.
Nefertiti, the Spidernaut, by Darcy Pattison, illustrated by Valerie Tisnes – a spider in space? This jumping spider is sent to the International Space Station as part of a science experiment. It’s a true story about scientists studying how animals adapt to the weightlessness of space.
The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney, written by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle – the real-life story about how Pluto got its name.
The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto, by Elizabeth Rusch and Guy Francis – who discovered Pluto? This nonfiction book tells the story of a scientist looking for new planets–and what he found.
Other Nonfiction/Beginning Readers:
Little Kids First Big Book of Space, by Catherine D. Hughes, illustrated by David A. Aguilar – all the facts a kid could ever ask about . . . and then some more (a National Geographic book for kids).
The Sky is Full of Stars, by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by Felicia Bond – an easy-reader that introduces kids to stars and constellations.
How Do Space Vehicles Work?, by Buffy Silverman – a simple, light-weight book about spacecraft. It’s a bit more than the standard beginning reader, but still meant for younger kids with a mechanical interest.
The Mars Rovers, by Patricia Hutchison – egineering, robots, and space! This is a solid informational book about Mars exploration. It’s great for young readers who love nonfiction.
Books for Older Kids:
50 Animals That Have Been to Space, by Jennifer Read and John A Read – animals in space? As the title suggests, this is an intriguing history of space exploration.
Solar System, by Anne Jankéliowitch, illustrated by Annabelle Buxton – space is beautiful! This a visually inspiring book explores solar system, planets, and much more.
Our Solar System, by Seymour Simon – a more traditional nonfiction book with a ton of information. Simon is also the author of books about the individual planets. They’re all excellent resources for older students, including Destination Mars, Destination Jupiter, and more.
How Space Works: The Facts Visually Explained, by DK Books – an enormous, fact-packed book about space. This book is great for readers who want to browse information.
Space: A Visual Encyclopedia, by DK Books – this book offers tons of infographics for independent readers to explore. Be sure to check out the other DK Eyewitness books on space topics too!
You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes, by Chris Hadfield – a book full of gorgeous space photos. It’s a stunning collection of an astronaut’s photographs taken from the International Space Station.
Eclipse Chaser: Science in the Moon’s Shadow, by Ilima Loomis and Amanda Cowan – why is an eclipse important? This book offers an in-depth exploration of the scientific research scientists do during eclipses.
Discovering New Planets, by Mae Jemison and Dana Meachen Rau – how do scientists study other solar systems? This is a highly educational book about the process for finding exoplanets orbiting other stars.
Mission to Pluto, by Mary Kay Carson, with photographs by Tom Uhlman – what does Pluto look like? This a fascinating book about the New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond. (I recommend checking out the other Scientist in the Field books as well, including Eclipse Chaser, mentioned above.)
Rocketry: Investigate the Science and Technology of Rockets and Ballistics, by Carla Mooney, illustrated by Caitlin Denham. This book has great information about the history of space exploration for older students, with hands-on projects to try.
Astronomy for Kids: How to Explore Outer Space with Binoculars, a Telescope, or Just Your Eyes!, by Bruce Betts, PhD – a thorough introduction to astronomy and science basics for kids.
Night Sky, by Carole Stott – a fun resource for astronomy from Eyewitnesses Nature Explorer series.
Math in Space, by Nancy Dickmann – a rather unique way of looking at math, as well as space!
Looking for activities to pair with these books? Try one these!
Hands-on Ideas:
Sun Prints and Solar Energy: using photo-sensitive paper to study solar energy!
How Big is the Solar System? Learn how to build your own scale model with the sun and planets.
Pluto’s Valentine Heart: paint your own planet with a paper plate and finger paints.
Printable Coloring Page: Need a simple activity for a group? Print out this rocket coloring page.
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