Explore Outer Space
July 2025

Board Books & Picture Books
Fantastic Voyages
A Way to the Stars
by David Almond

This ode to the power of imagination and sky-high courage takes readers on an out-of-this-world adventure as Joe and his dad put their heads and hearts together to reach for the stars—a tireless quest to reach the unreachable. 
Ray's Big Day: A Journey at the Speed of Light
by Josh Lewis

Little Ray of light launches from the sun, embarking on a journey through the solar system, visiting the planets, and continuing into the vastness of space beyond.
Stella's Stellar Hair
by Yesenia Moises

Stella travels planet to planet visting her aunties looking for a stellar hairdo for the Big Star Little Gala, but she is not convinced by any of their suggestions.
Heavenly Bodies
Star of the Party: The Solar System Celebrates!
by Jan Carr

All the planets in the solar system decide to throw Sun a birthday party. Includes facts about the planets.
The Day Moon and Earth Had an Argument
by David Duff

A quarrel between Moon and Earth sends Moon on a cosmic journey through the solar system. Includes facts about Moon, Earth, and the planets in our solar sytem.
Bright Lights and Summer Nights
by Shauntay Grant

One hot summer night, Mother Moon soothes a star baby who won't go to sleep, spinning a warm, lyrical tale of friendship and fun about a dreamy evening as children and forest friends enjoy a carousel and country fair.
Where to Hide a Star
by Oliver Jeffers

The long-awaited sequel to the much-loved Boy stories by the internationally best-selling picture book creator of Lost and Found finds the Boy embarking on an exciting spaceship rescue mission to the North Pole when his friend the star goes missing, discovering that he's not the only one who has always dreamed of having a star as a friend. 
Is There Anybody Out There?
The First Week of School
by Drew Beckmeyer

On the first day of school, when a new student arrives, things take a turn for the unusual, causing the class to wonder if the visitor is something out-of-this-word, in this laugh-out-loud picture book. 
The Spaceman
by Randy Cecil

When a large bird makes off with his ship, a tiny Spaceman is forced to venture out into this new world—planet Earth—on foot, coming to a pond where he meets a friendly, goofy, slobbery beast and wonders if he's found a new home.
We Are Definitely Human
by X. Fang

When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car." No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business," "play sportsball" and "wear hat." As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach an all-time high.
Elio Goes to Space!
by Cynthea Liu

Elio finds it hard to fit in everywhere he goes--that is, until he is suddenly beamed up into space, transported across the galaxy, and mistaken to be the intergalactic Ambassador for Earth.
Elio's New Friends
by Kristine Osaki

Children ages 6 to 8 will love this Step 3 Step into Reading leveled reader based on the Disney/Pixar movie Elio.
Astro
by Manuel Marsol

When Astro arrives on a faraway planet, everyone wants to meet him. Who's this strange person, and why is he here? But one kind creature in particular is especially drawn to him. Together, they form an unlikely bond and navigate the world's curious terrains -- mountains, caves, oceans. When the creature is taken from him, Astro must confront the difficult questions that underlie our existence: Why are we here? What is our life for? The astronaut grapples with the absence of his otherworldly friend in this poignant tale of loss and acceptance from an award-winning Spanish illustrator.
The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature
by Nathan W. Pyle

Based on the Strange Planet series, this out-of-this-world picture book follows two aliens as they try to understand the vibrating creature (that's a cat to us humans) that is stalking around their house. 
Let's Be Astronauts!
Maisy's Rocket
by Lucy Cousins

Maisy and her pal Cyril zoom off to land at the space station high above Earth and when they join the other astronauts, everyone is happy to see them, in a shaped board book by the creator of Splish, Splash, Ducky! 
One Giant Leap
by Thao Lam

This inventive wordless picture book about the power of imagination and creativity follows a young child who, with the push of an elevator button, becomes an astronaut and blasts off into space on an important mission until it's time for school. 
Dinosaurs in Space
by Todd Sturgell

In this silly science lesson gone wrong, Dakota the dinosaur and his ragtag group of friends take over the story to share their spacetastic theories about moon-sauruses, Martian dinosaurs and zombie-sauruses. 
Astro Girl
by Ken Wilson-Max

A little girl teams up with her father to role-play her dream of becoming an astronaut by pretending to be in zero gravity, eating food from a tube and doing cookie-sheet science experiments, until her mother's return reveals who inspired the girl's ambitions. 
Stargazing
Ada and the Galaxies
by Alan P. Lightman

Ada knows that the best place for star-gazing is on the island in Maine where she vacations with her grandparents. By day, she tracks osprey in the trees, paddles a kayak, and hunts for shells. But she's most in her element when the sun goes down and the stars blink to life. Will the fog this year foil her plans, or will her grandfather find a way to shine a spotlight on the vast puzzle of the universe ... until the weather turns?
A Bed of Stars
by Jessica Love

This reassuring picture book about finding one's place in the world follows a father as he takes his child on their first camping trip where he shows them, under a blanket of stars, that the universe is a friendly place. 
Juanita: The Girl Who Counted the Stars
by Lola Walder

A magical story of a Guatemalan girl named Juanita, who loved cooking crunchy maize tortillas and counting stars every night.
Juanita: La Niña Que Contaba Estrellas
by Lola Walder

Una mágica historia de una niña de Guatemala a la que le encataba cocinar tortitas de maíz y contar estrellas cada noche.
The Blanket Where Violet Sits
by Allan Wolf

Equipped with a telescope and space book while on a picnic under the stars with her family, a little girl looks into the great beyond, in this expansive bedtime story told in cumulative rhyme. 
Nonfiction Picture Books
A Few Beautiful Minutes: Experiencing a Solar Eclipse
by Kate Allen Fox

Sky gazers experience a total solar eclipse in this descriptive picture book about the wonders of this phenomenon.
The Little Spacecraft That Could  New Horizons' Amazing Journey to Pluto and Arrokoth
by Joyce Lapin

Ride along with the New Horizons spacecraft as she rockets three billion miles to Pluto! Watch her take the first close-up photos of Pluto, and then journey another billion miles to mini-world Arrokoth. You'll whiz through space at more than 10 miles per second; learn how giant planet Jupiter helped the little spacecraft reach Pluto; and discover the astonishing surface feature that made the world fall in love with Pluto.
Your Place in the Universe
by Jason Chin

A non-fiction introduction to the massive scale of the known universe. This title is also available in Spanish.
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