Out of this world
Fantastic fiction, incredible information and perfect poetry on the theme of space!
Lots of children love reading about space. Here are some recommendations for information, poetry and fiction texts that are out of this world …
- Winner of the 2020 Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year Award Prize, Look Up! (Puffin, 2019), written by Nathan Byron and illustrated by Dapo Adeola, is a brilliant book featuring space-lover and chatterbox, Rocket. Rocket couldn’t be more excited about an upcoming meteor shower, but unfortunately not everyone else feels the same … The narrative is peppered with ‘Did you know … ?’ facts, which feature Rocket’s idol Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to go to space.
- If you are looking for some fantastic Space Poems (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2016), this collection curated by Gaby Morgan is an excellent place to start. Featuring work from children’s poets such as Brian Moses and Liz Brownlee, there is something for everyone! Get ready to hear about aliens, planets, spaceships and more.
- The brilliant Ken Wilson-Max has written and illustrated Astro Girl (Otter-Barry Books, 2019), a story about a child called Astrid who has big dreams. Like many children in Key Stage 1, Astrid longs to be an astronaut and explore space (just like her mum!).
- Ready for a tour that will take you across the entire solar system? Professor Astro Cat will guide you through the cosmos, while sharing engaging facts about the planets. Written by Dr Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman, Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System (Flying Eye, 2017), complete with a glossary, is a great introduction to non-fiction books.
- The Skies Above My Eyes (words & pictures, 2018), written by Charlotte Guillain and illustrated by Yuval Zommer, is an irresistible book with pages that fold out to eight-foot long! Taking readers up into the sky and into the atmosphere beyond, this text has rich illustrations that are made to be pored over!
Author bio: Matthew Courtney is a Teacher and Curriculum Lead.
