Picture Book Genres: Science Fiction
While genres become more of an interest as kids become independent readers, I love the idea of sharing picture books that can also fall into genres as well. And maybe your young readers don’t have a strong opinion about the genres they read, I think exposing them to a wide-variety of genres early, allows kids to learn more about the book world and what they might like. I think it also allows kids to better appreciate just how many options exist! I say the same thing about ensuring kids have a chance to experience both nonfiction text as well as poetry. There is something for every reader, it’s often that kids don’t become readers because they haven’t yet found the book that speaks to them. What if they learned more about the book world at a younger age to better find the right fit?
That’s a long rant for me to say that over the course of the next month, I’m going to be sharing picture books about different genres. Last week, I shared some picture books in the mystery genre, today it’s all about science fiction! Science fiction, while a part of speculative fiction, is different from fantasy with a focus on, you guessed it, science, logic, or nature. You won’t find magic or mythical creatures. Rather, you’ll most likely see a lot of books about space and time travel – and while the stories themselves are fantastical, the genre is rooted in what is possible. All of this is probably way deeper than we need to go in terms of science fiction picture books, but I think it gives us a better understanding of the genre and what to expect!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.
Picture Book Genres: Science Fiction
Aiko and the Planet of Dogs by Ainhoa Cayuso, illustrated by Christoffer Ellegaard
Aiko is a courageous astronaut, specially trained to brave the extremes of space. The whole of humanity is counting on her success. But on a planet that shows signs of life, something goes awry, and when she wakes up, she finds . . . a pack of dogs? And . . . they can talk?
Descended from the valiant astro-dogs who first traveled in space, these canines have cut off all contact with Earth. They’ve found a new planet where they can live, far from humanity and their former masters. (Yes, that doesn’t explain how they can talk, but that’s a little complicated, so let’s move on.)
Aiko is delighted. This discovery will make her the most famous astronaut on Earth! The dogs are . . . less delighted. “Finish your lunch,” they say. “We need to walk you before your bedtime.” They’re going to keep her prisoner on their planet rather than let humanity find them again.
Can Aiko find her way home? Can the dogs protect THEIR home? Dear reader, we think you’ll enjoy finding out!
The Book From Far Away by Bruce Handy, illustrated by Julie Benbassat
A cosmic celebration of the joy of sharing books and having new experiences awaits readers in this captivating wordless picture book for ages 4 to 8. A child busy reading in a treehouse spots a family who seems to have just arrived on Earth for a picnic. The youngest member of the alien family holds a mind-bendingly strange object. Could it be a book from outer space? At the end of this gorgeously illustrated tale, each child returns home with a book from far away to remember a kind stranger.
City Under the City by Dan Yaccarino
Bix lives with her family in a city where people rarely talk or play together, and no longer read books. Instead, they stare at small portable screens, monitored by giant eyeballs. The Eyes are here to help! With everything. But Bix would like to do things for herself. Running from an Eye, she discovers another world: the City Under the City. There, she befriends a rat who leads her to a library and its treasure trove of books and knowledge. As she explores the abandoned city, she’s thrilled to learn about the people who lived there, with no Eyes.
But she misses her family, and decides to head home, where, just maybe, she can help defeat the intrusive Eyes—and show her people how to think for themselves and enjoy each other’s company. Told through Dan Yaccarino’s stunning graphic style, this page-turning picture book/early reader crossover will spark a new appreciation of reading, books, independence, friendship, and family.
Cookie Time by Jessie Sima
Kat and Ari love cookie time, their special tradition with Grandpa and his dog, Biscuit. It’s always fun and oh, so delicious! But waiting for the cookies to be ready is so hard. What better way to skip to the good part than a time machine?
The two plan to jump a little into the future, to when the cookies are out of the oven, but they overshoot and go way too far ahead! And when Kat and Ari try to return, they still can’t get the timing right. They have fun meeting prehistoric dinosaurs, futuristic robots, and even past versions of themselves…but just wish they could get back to Grandpa. Could they have been wrong about the best part of cookie time?
Dalmartian by Lucy Ruth Cummins
A visitor from outer space comes to Stephen’s yard one night. It may look like a Dalmatian, but it certainly doesn’t act like one. At first, Stephen and the visitor get off on the wrong paw. They quibble over kibble, debate sleeping arrangements, and must abandon earth dogs’ approach to bathroom breaks altogether to keep the peace. Is a shared love of bacon a strong enough foundation for this ordinary earth boy and extraordinary out-of-this-world canine to learn to live in harmony?
One Giant Leap by Thao Lam
A child zips up their orange suit, pulls on a pair of boots, and adjusts their hat. They’re ready for an adventure. But where are they going? With the push of an elevator button, their adventure begins, and they’re transformed … into an astronaut!
The child takes one small step into a barren landscape. Then one giant leap. Soon, they’re hopping around a strange new planet and scaling space mountains. As they explore the peculiar planet, the astronaut discovers colorful space creatures of all shapes and sizes. Suddenly, a blizzard hits, and the astronaut races through the storm right into … the school hallway! The little astronaut was a child on their way to school, and the space odyssey was all part of their imagination.
The Spaceman by Randy Cecil
A tiny Spaceman arrives on a new planet, ready to perform his monotonous tasks—collecting samples, labeling and filing them, and moving on to the next planet. But pausing to look around, the Spaceman is dazzled by the beauty of his surroundings. And when a large bird makes off with his ship, he’s forced to venture out into this new world—planet Earth—on foot. Marveling at a varied landscape of flowers, butterflies, and other wondrous creatures, he finds a pond to float in and a goofy, slobbery beast who seems to want to be his friend. Could it be that the Spaceman has found a new home? This simple and sophisticated story filled with deadpan humor offers surprises on each lively spread. From a veteran creator comes a delightfully droll story radiating warmth and the wonder of the new, reminding us to look up from our mundane lives and embrace discovery.
The Trouble With Time Travel by Stephen W. Martin, illustrated by Cornelia Li
Max and her dog, Boomer, are in trouble. Big trouble. Max has accidentally smashed an heirloom vase: the only treasure her great-great-great-great-great-great-grandma managed to save when her houseboat sank 234 years ago. Max can come clean―or, she can build a time machine! If she travels to the past and smashes the vase then, there will be nothing for her to break in the future. Brilliant!
In the time machine―surprisingly easy to construct―Max and Boomer bump around to the past and the future, tangle the string of time, and crash into the ancestral houseboat, promptly sinking it. And in the past, the vase remains intact. Disheartened, Max and Boomer return to the moment just before their adventure began, to warn themselves NOT to build a time machine. In spite of the warning, Max tosses a Frisbee for Boomer, directly in the direction of the vase, and their wild adventure begins again, and again, and again…
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.
