Children's Picture Books: Stories set in Outerspace

The Universe and You

2021

by Suzanne Slade and Stephanie Fizer Coleman

"During the night, as a child sleeps in her bedroom, the reader is taken on an exploration of our solar system, galaxies beyond, and finally the universe as a whole. The cycle continues when the child awakens to a new day. Back matter includes science facts. During the night, as we sleep, a beautiful celestial dance is taking place. While Earth seems solid and still, it's actually spinning on its axis and circling the sun. Joining Earth in this orbit around the sun are the other seven planets in our solar system, along with dozens of moons and millions of comets and asteroids. Containing our solar system is the wondrous Milky Way galaxy, with its billions of stars, just like our own sun, swirling and whirling around. And on from there are the billions of galaxies with their own stars swirling and whirling into the ever-expanding space called our universe. When the sun rises on a brand new day, the dance continues. Through lyrical text, award-winning science writer Suzanne Slade (June Almeida, Virus Detective! The Woman Who Discovered the First Human Coronavirus) takes young readers on an exploration of our solar system, galaxies beyond, and finally the universe as a whole. Back matter includes science facts." -- publisher

Welcome to Florida

2021

by Asa Gilland

"Welcome to Florida! We’re glad you’re here! Introducing a new series of picture books about each US state. Children from Florida and those who’d like to visit Florida one day will love this bright, cheerful, fact-filled picture book celebration of “The Sunshine State.” With information about the state’s animals, plants, regions, food, people, customs, and fun places to visit, this tribute to Florida is the perfect gift for vacationers and residents alike. The warm, bright illustrations highlight the many delights to be found throughout the state, and the easy-yet-informative details (“The smallest post office in the United States is a tiny building in the Everglades”) give just the right amount of information to kids from preschool on up. Series Overview: The “Welcome to” series starts in spring ’21 with Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas, with plans to add more states each season." -- publisher

2 Pirates +1 Robot

2020

by Henry Herz and Shiho Pate

"What does 2 pirates plus 1 robot equal? Tons of fun, plus lots of adventure, times masses of laughter!" -- publisher

Child of the Universe

2020

by Ray Jayawardhana and Raúl Colón

"Perfect for fans of The Wonderful Things You Will Be and That’s Me Loving You, this picture book by a renowned astrophysicist is a lyrical meditation on the preciousness of one child and the vastness of the universe. A lyrical meditation on the preciousness of one child and the vastness of the universe, this gorgeously illustrated picture book shares the immensity of a parent’s love along with the message that we are all connected to the broader cosmos in important and intimate ways. A perfect bedtime read-aloud, Child of the Universe is a book to cherish forever. The author is an astrophysicist who has been fascinated by the universe since he was a child. As a parent, he has developed a new appreciation for the deep connections between billions of years of cosmic evolution and this one tiny human." -- publisher

From Ed’s To Ned’s

2020

by Gideon Sterer and Lucy Ruth Cummins

"What starts with just two kids quickly escalates into a rhyming, rollicking romp through the neighborhood, where all the kids are invited! Climb to Cal’s Whirl to Will’s Trampoline from Ted’s to Jill’s! Two sisters venture out of their house and pick up Cal, then all three head to Will’s. Four become eight and then eight become twelve, and before you know it, there are twenty-two! Never touching the ground, the kids have no shortage of ways to get to their pal’s place when there is a mission at hand! Trampolines and slides. Propellers and parachutes. Diving boards and swinging vines. Find your favorite mode and join the friends on the adventurous trip!" -- publisher

How do you stop a moving train?

2020

by Lucy D. Hayes, Madeline J. Hayes and Srimalie Bassani

"Come along on a science adventure to discover how cars speed up and slow down, how astronauts float in space, and so much more! This fun question and answer book has everything from facts and figures to simple diagrams and hilarious illustrations to help you learn introductory physics terms and concepts including displacement, velocity, acceleration, forces, friction, gravity and more."--Back cover

I Am Every Good Thing

2020

by Derrick D. Barnes and Gordon C. James

"An upbeat, empowering, important picture book from the team that created the award-winning Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut. The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He’s got big plans, and no doubt he’ll see them through—as he’s creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend. Sometimes he falls, but he always gets back up. And other times he’s afraid, because he’s so often misunderstood and called what he is not. So slow down and really look and listen, when somebody tells you—and shows you—who they are. There are superheroes in our midst!" -- publisher

Love, Sophia on the Moon

2020

by Anica Mrose Rissi and Mika Song

"Life on Earth isn't always fair, so Sophia runs off to the moon, where there are no bedtimes, no time-outs, and no Mom. But as Sophia and her mom send letters to each other, Mom has a clever comeback for all of Sophia's angry notes. Home starts to sound not-quite-so-bad, especially when Mom reports that someone from the moon has moved in to Sophia's old room, they're having spaghetti for dinner, and they're reading Sophia's favorite story at bedtime. A through line of unconditional love underscored with lots of humor and imagination makes this picture book a stellar pick for storytime." -- publisher

Nine

2020

by Irene Latham and Amy Huntington

"Fans of clever poetry and numbers rejoice! Nine is a book of nine-line poems called nonets, all about the number nine! Hey! Hi there! Love nonets? I’m sure you do. What are they, you ask? You don’t know a nonet? Not even one little one? Actually, they’re all the same size! They’re poems, of course—and here’s your first! Each poem in this clever collection is a nonet: a nine-line poem that starts with nine syllables in the first line and ends with one syllable in the ninth line (or the reverse). But these nonets go even further! Every one is also written with the number nine at its heart. There’s plenty to love and learn: topics include the nine months it takes a baby to be born, cats’ nine lives, baseball’s nine players, and the nine-banded armadillo. Some feature history, such as the Little Rock Nine, the spacecraft Apollo 9, the ninth president; others explain idioms, like “dressed to the nines,” “cloud nine,” and “the whole nine yards.” Explore these and more with nonets galore!" -- publisher

A Kite For Moon

2019

by Heidi E.Y. Stemple, Jane Yolen and Matt Phelan

"A Kite for Moon, written by New York Times bestselling author Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple and illustrated by award-winning artist Matt Phelan, tells a heartfelt story about a young boy’s fascination and unlikely friendship with the moon. Dedicated to Neil Armstrong, this book gives a nod to the 50th anniversary of the first U.S. moon landing. What would it be like if the moon was your friend? Find out as you walk alongside a little boy who journeys through life to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut. And then blast off with your little one as you zoom to the moon together! The story begins when a little boy, who is flying his kite, notices a sad Moon. He sends up kites to her, writing notes promising he will come see her someday. This promise propels him through years of studying, learning, and training to become an astronaut. Until … he finally goes up, up, up in a big rocket ship with a fiery tail." -- publisher