Little Bookshelf: Out of this world Reads

Earth Space Moon Base by Ben Joel Price

A spaceman, robot, and monkey are in a secret moon base and set off on a secret mission to complete a task of epic proportions, but why is the monkey shooting bananas at a deep dark crater? Aliens, of course!

The book starts very simply with very few words, and then it continues to grow with each page turned. The colors begin to change as well. It starts with very few dark colors, and then some yellow is added with bananas, and then it changes again when they travel into space. This story also can inspire children’s imagination with space adventures and aliens.

Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story by Mark Kelly Illustrator: C.F. Payne

Meteor is the smallest of the mice preparing to be chosen to go on a mission into space.  The Shuttle Commander decides to pick six of the mice, and Meteor is selected to go on the mission (much to everyone’s surprise).  He is more than ready to go into space too.  He is not scared of the take-off and loves feeling weightless, unlike the other mice.  Meteor even helps retrieve the key to the control panel, which makes him a hero.

This is an excellent book with wonderful illustrations and a great message for kids that if you work hard and never give up, you can do anything you set your mind to—a great recommendation for kids of all ages.

If you enjoyed this story, you could also check out the continuation in Mousetronaut Goes to Mars.

Sidney, Stella, and the Moon by Emma Yarlett

Sidney and Stella did everything together. They fed the ducks together, and they played together. However, there was one thing they couldn’t do together…SHARE. So one night, when they were fighting over a bouncy ball, it flew out the window and bounced up to the moon and broke it into a million pieces. The next day chaos ensued due to the missing moon, so Stella and Sidney needed to find a replacement and fast. They looked everywhere for a replacement until they found an almost round piece of cheese and flung it up to the sky.

This is a very creative story with great illustrations and really captures Sidney and Stella’s facial expressions well. Many kids struggle with sharing, so this was a nice story that shows what some consequences might be when you don’t share (a little extreme but probably effective nonetheless).  Sidney, Stella, and the Moon is a great story for kids of all ages.

On the Launch Pad: A Counting Book About Rockets (Know Your Numbers) by Michael Dahl Illustrators: Derrick Alderman and Denise Shea

Kids love rockets and space, and this is a great book that shows how the rockets are prepared for launch. The colors and illustrations are simple, yet fun and kids will enjoy the countdown to liftoff.

This is a great book that works on counting, but instead of counting up, this book counts down, which is a nice change for kids. Another thing kids can do with this book is find the hidden numbers throughout the pages. This is an excellent book for toddlers to enjoy.

How the Meteorite Got to the Museum by  Jessie Hartland

This is a great story for kids and adults who want to learn more about meteors and meteorites. The journey of the meteorite is explained in very simplified terms for children to understand, and there is more information in the back of the book if kids want to learn more. This is a great book to read before jumping into books that are more in-depth on the subject, and this may be easier for younger kids to understand.

*There are more books in this series if you are interested in finding out how other objects find their way to the museums.