Katie Moench is a librarian, runner, and lover of baked goods. A school librarian in the Upper Midwest, Katie lives with her husband and dog and spends her free time drinking coffee, trying new recipes, and adding to her TBR.
Aliens, spacecraft, and galaxies far, far away all make frequent appearances in science fiction stories. They invite readers to take an adventure into futuristic worlds more technologically advanced than our current one. While many readers might associate the science fiction genre mostly with notable adult authors like H.G. Wells, Octavia Butler, and Ursula K Le Guin, numerous picture book authors have also used their talents to write and illustrate stories that will delight young readers (and their parents) with their clever takes on genre tropes.
In these books, you’ll find multiple award-winning titles, including an Ezra Jack Keats Best New Illustrator book and a CBC Children’s Choice Book Awards pick. You’ll also be able to page through a wonderfully illustrated, wordless picture book about two unlikely friends on an adventure; meet a group of aliens posing as humans; and watch an earthly dog interact with some visitors who arrive in a flash of light.
Whether you’re looking for something sweet, adventurous, or silly, these science fiction picture books will delight the genre’s littlest fans.
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Katie Moench is a librarian, runner, and lover of baked goods. A school librarian in the Upper Midwest, Katie lives with her husband and dog and spends her free time drinking coffee, trying new recipes, and adding to her TBR.
We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang
In this Ezra Jack Keats Best New Illustrator Award and American Library Association Notable Children’s Award-winning book, three mysterious visitors have crash-landed in Mr. Li’s field. Being the kind man he is, Mr. Li invites them in and helps them fix up their “car” and learns that visitors are from “Europe” and enjoy the common, human pastime of “sportsball.” As more townspeople come to Mr. Li’s to help the new visitors, who are definitely and totally human, the story shows the power of friendship and fun, regardless of what planet you may come from.
The Babysitter from Another Planet by Stephen Savage
When their parents go out for the evening, a brother and sister discover their new babysitter is an alien from another planet! While at first they’re concerned, they soon find that their new sitter can make anything into out-of-this-world fun. Described as a cross between “E.T. and Mary Poppins,” this book was a CBC Children’s Choice Book Awards Finalist.
Hello by Aiko Ikegami
This picture book shows that sometimes you don’t need words to communicate the power of friendship. When two strangers from different galaxies connect, they form a friendship and go on adventures, all of which are sweetly showcased through the beautiful illustrations in this wordless story.
Spacebot by Mike Twohy
After all his humans are in bed, the family dog settles down for a night of peaceful sleep in his dog house. But then: a light and a crash come from the sky and strange creatures emerge from a UFO! Now it’s up to the dog to determine if these new visitors are friendly before the humans wake up and see what’s going on in the yard.
We have plenty more picture books to recommend to young readers and their families! Check out these anticipated 2025 picture books and these silly options for when you need a laugh. And for science fiction fans, our SF/F archives have lots of recommendations for readers of all ages!
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