Space Topic (KS1)

Astrid has loved space ever since she can remember and wants to be an astronaut when she grows up. Even when her dad gently reminds her of the challenges ahead (eating food out of a tube, getting used to near-zero gravity, sleeping on her own amongst the stars), she is confident – “I can do that!”

This is a story full of tenderness and adventure, with a lovely surprise ending when Astrid and Dad go to pick up Mum from the airbase – where has she been?

This gentle picture book with distinctive earthy illustrations is a lovely read-aloud for Reception/Year 1 with a wonderful inclusive message at its heart, supported by the mini fact-files about female and BAME astronauts at the end.

This is another wonderful story from popular picture book author Mini Grey (author of Traction Man). When a child’s toys are left out in the garden over night, they get unexpectedly beamed into space. The toys use their best storytelling skills to cope with their new surroundings and problem-solve their way back home. There are some great ideas for activities to go with this book on the Teachwire website.

What would you need to get you all the way to the moon? Mouse thinks that his moon map is everything he needs and he sets off on a big adventure to get all the way to the moon. But as he travels through the woods and things begin to get a bit dark and scary, Mouse soon realises that he may need more than just a map to find his way.

Field Trip to the Moon is a stunning picture book exploring what happens when one child on a school trip to the moon accidentally gets left behind after the school space ship departs. Depicted in atmospheric shades of grey, with soothing rhyming text, we see the aliens creep up to investigate the lost child who is drawing a picture of Earth. For the moon aliens, the crayon colours open up a whole new world and lead to ‘the best day of our lives’.

Moving through pathos and wariness to friendship and joy, Field Trip to the Moon is accessible for the youngest children in school, but there is also much that could be explored with KS1 and LKS2, such as writing about the experience from the point of view of the child, describing a field trip to space or imagining suddenly discovering colour after a lifetime of grey.

A beautifully illustrated book with just the right amount of words and phrases to help children understand the science behind why there might be sunshine at bedtime.

After reading this with my own small child who struggled to sleep because of the light, it was a quick snapshot into the scientific reasons behind why light seeps through the curtains at bedtime. Taking you through the lens of a small child, it journeys through the world to explain how the Earth is tilted and spins on its axis which causes our summer and winter alongside other fantastic scientific facts about the topics of Light and Dark, Earth, Seasons, and Space.

This well-crafted book is definitely one to purchase in schools. The gentle, illustrated story with a Scientific basis is a great book to add to a KS1 library.

Look Up! is an entertaining and vibrant story book about a space-loving girl called Rocket. Rocket is excited about the chance to view an upcoming meteor shower, and she wants everyone she meets to be ready to look up and see it. Frustratingly, her much older brother would rather look down at his phone. With a little sibling compromise and a never-giving-in approach from Rocket, the pair have a wonderful time together and Rocket helps everyone to see how amazing the sky can be when you just look up.

This book is great fun and always a big hit with Year 1. Many children at this age can relate to the frustration of seeing older family members immersed in their phones, but also know the feeling of being excited by the night’s sky and fascinated by stories about space.

The story includes space facts and references to significant figures in space history like Mae Jemison, who was the first black female astronaut to travel into space. The underlying values of the importance of community and family bonds give a real warmth to this super story book.

Hello Star tells an adorable story of the awe and wonder that can come from discovering the wonders of our universe.

Finding out that a hypnotising bright light was, in fact, a dying star, the little girl admiring it from her bedroom window was instantly hooked. Keeping her promise to keep it company until the light was no more, her fascination grew. It led to a lifelong passion for the stars, space and science and a journey to something special.

This lovely story is perfect for encouraging children to reach for their dreams but also provides a platform to inspire girls, in particular, to venture into careers in science and space.

This brilliant addition to the Professor Astro Cat series is aimed at less confident readers. It takes young explorers on a journey through our solar system. We love the bold contemporary illustrations and the way that scientific ideas are introduced in a very child-friendly way. The perfect gift for budding astronauts.

How to Catch a Star by popular author-illustrator Oliver Jeffers is about a little boy who wants a star of his own and goes on a quest to find one. Star-catching is not as easy as he first thought – he tries climbing a tree, finds a lasso, jumps super high and even asks the bird to help him. Wondering whether it is time to give up, something catches his eye in the shiny reflection of the water and he follows a new lead to find a star of his very own on the sand.

The illustrations capture the determination of the boy as well as the highs and lows of his emotions along the way – the hopeful ambition of pursuing his goal, the sadness of nearly giving up and the sheer joy of fulfilling his dream, even if it is not how he first imagined it to be.

Oliver Jeffers’ books always make for calm story times that tap into positive human values like the joy of friendship, the wonder of the natural world, following dreams and not giving up. Younger children may also sometimes wonder whether stars can (or should) be caught, or perhaps be able to relate to the experience of wanting to collect something really beautiful from the natural world, like a shell, flower or a special stone. The language is short and simple and the pictures are appealing to children aged 4-7. There’s plenty of scope for imagination, discussion and innovation based on the story.

The Darkest Dark tells the true story of how Chris Hadfield conquered his childhood fear of the dark after watching the Apollo 11 moon landing, thus paving the way for his own journey to become an astronaut. The foreword and afterword from Chris add excellent context which makes the story even more inspiring.

Children will be able to empathise with Chris’ fear of night-time monsters which he overcomes through his realisation of ‘the power and mystery and velvety black beauty of the dark’ in space. The expansive artwork on the pages conveying the awesome majesty of space contrasts beautifully with the earth-bound portraits of a warm and loving human family. The uplifting message of this book inspires the reader to dream big; as Chris says ‘Your dreams are always with you…Big dreams about the kind of person you want to be. Wonderful dreams about the life you will live. Dreams that actually can come true’.

Space engineer, Suzy Orbit, has a TON of ideas – about how to build a new space pod, design a replacement spacesuit and programme an alien-translation phone for starters. Unfortunately, Captain Gizmo does not listen to a word she says and prefers to order everything online.

Luckily, when a real disaster strikes (a meteoroid storm is about to blast earth!), Captain Gizmo finally realises just how useful Suzy can be.

With vibrant colours, spaceships, aliens, crazy inventions and the kid-friendly ‘children triumph over grown-ups’ storyline, Suzy Orbit, Astronaut will be a sure-fire hit with the youngest space enthusiasts.

For those just past the Early Readers stage, Jasper: Space Dog is a fun and easy to read first chapter book. The book is written in the form of letters from Jasper (and his human owner, Charlie) to Dr Isabella Starr, Rocket Scientist. The letters from Charlie and Jasper are silly and light; they ask questions such as ‘Is the moon made of cheese?’, ‘Do astronauts eat hotdogs?’, and ‘Did the astronauts see a man in the moon?’.

Dr Starr’s replies are fun too, but also provide interesting facts. Did you know that the landing module Eagle was originally going to be called Haystack? ‘Houston, the Haystack has landed’ doesn’t have quite the same ring! Or that the astronauts couldn’t afford life insurance, so they each signed hundreds of photos to be sold if they didn’t make it back to raise money for their families. Jasper: Space Dog provides young readers with all of these answers and more.

This book by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara is one of the books in the best-selling series, Little People, BIG DREAMS. These books explore the lives of people who achieved great things, but focus on when they started out as children with a dream.

Mae Jemison became a scientist and the first black woman to be admitted to the astronaut programme at NASA, later becoming the first African-American female astronaut in space. As a child, Mae dreamed of going in a real space rocket and the story shows how she pursued her dreams and overcame obstacles to reach for the stars.

Young children love stories about explorers and space, and this book based on an inspirational true life story has both.

Gail is determined to get more out of life than the other snails. She’s not content with keeping her foot on the ground, eating greens and growing old; she’s not your average snail, she wants to blaze a different trail. This snail wants to go into space! Accomplishing her ambition will take perseverance and hard work, overcoming last-minute hurdles, but, as Gail shows, if you have a dream anything is possible.

Bold, bright illustrations complement this humorous, rhyming story from two skilled picture book creators, about the power of purpose and persistence, showing that resilience is key to success.

Gail is an endearing snail, standing out from the rest with her leopard print shell. Her character is brought vividly to life with her emotions and thoughts conveyed solely through the illustrations of her eyes, providing a masterclass in how important it is to read the pictures as well as the words. Featuring a sparkling, inviting cover, this is ideal for sharing with Early Years and KS1 children to enjoy and encourage self-belief.

This recommendable narrative non-fiction book celebrates the life of Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who played a crucial role in the smooth running of the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon.

The story emphasises Katherine’s lifelong passion for mathematics – how she loved to count as a child and how she overcame barriers of inequality and prejudice to reach her dream of using her mathematical talents while working for NASA.

A fantastic biography that celebrates mathematics, space, women in STEM and following dreams.