100 books like Leo Gray and the Lunar Eclipse

This is a great book to start your little ones on their very first space adventure. Tish Rabe takes the Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat character on a journey to teach children about the planets, the moon, and the sun. But it doesn’t stop there! The book also touches on famous constellations, the moon landing, and lots of cool and wacky facts about the solar system. Neptune’s bright blue color and Saturn’s incredible lightness are just a few of the fun snippets of space knowledge scattered throughout the book. Wonderful illustrations combined with whimsical prose will keep young readers turning the pages. 

“But there’s a lot to discover, and it might be you who looks up in the sky and finds something that’s new!”

I’m a big fan of mixing books about space facts with space fiction. So, after reading all about space facts little ones can read about Otter’s fictional space adventure. Have you ever dreamed of flying to the moon? Well after a trip to the museum, where Otter does not get the space rock he so desperately covets, Otter does! An elaborate moon-landing plot evolves. Otter will build his own rocket, fly to the moon and get his own moon rock! Teddy and Giraffe are tasked with special missions, although Otter feels like he ends up doing most of the work. Kids will love Otter’s adventurous spirit, whilst adults may well sympathize with the Otter Keeper, responsible for such a mischievous creature!

If there’s any book that deserves the title inspirational, it’s surely this children’s book narrated by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Here he recounts his life story, beginning with his childhood and how he acquired the name Buzz⎯such a cute story! This is followed by the significant events that led him to become an astronaut, then eventually to his epic moon landing. Buzz believed in education, discipline and he felt strongly that any goal was possible. He certainly lived up to those ideals! On July 20, 1969, after blasting off in the Apollo 11, he and Neil Armstrong became the first people ever to set foot on the moon. An incredible achievement! Children will love Wendell Minor’s gorgeous paintings and enjoy reading about the personal story of a great American hero.

This is a jam-packed full of information space book, best suited for children ages 8 and above. It explores the solar system, the history of astronomy, and the great discoveries, made by seriously brainy scientists! The book also teaches kids about comets, meteoroids, and asteroids. And there is even a basic introduction to some of the most famous constellations, as well as the zodiac constellations: our star signs! A handy star guide accompanies the book, so kids can learn to identify their favorite constellations. Children will enjoy the author’s chatty narrative. There are charming color illustrations by Meredith Hamilton, and useful definitions of complicated space words. This is a great book to really develop a child's interest in the endless and utterly fascinating night sky!

The robots in this book are cute and funny. In comic book format, a red robot and a blue robot get upset with each other but still maintain their friendship. In each of the three stories, the robots deal with misunderstandings, bad advice, hurt feelings, and apologies. The book made me laugh, which is never a bad thing.

A boy and a robot decide to play together. The robot’s switch is bumped, and he turns off. The boy tries to help—he feeds the robot applesauce, reads him a story, and tucks him in. When his switch is bumped again, Bot tries to help the sleeping boy, giving him oil, reading him an instruction manual, and getting a battery. Only when the inventor shouts, “Stop! That is a boy!” do the friends sort of understand each other. You can do your best robot voice reading this aloud, and the brightly-colored pictures add warmth and jokes to the story.

"Greee-TINGS BEST FRIEND IN THE MILK- eee waaay," says Geeger the Robot. Greetings, Geeger! When Geeger's efforts to cheer his friend Tillie fail, he computes information offered by their teacher to find the best way to help. With Geeger by her side, it's hard for Tillie—or any reader—to be down in the dumps for long. Jarrett Lerner's book is filled with heart and humor and, happily, this book is part of a series. 

I might be cheating a bit on this one; half of the story is told by Dog, yes, but the other half is told by Robot. This is a wordless graphic novel, and it is a deeply moving story about the seasons of friendship.

Robot Dreams shows us just how fragile our dearest relationships can be if we don’t lovingly and tenderly take care of them. This story shows the bliss and joy of a new friendship, the pain of a friendship ending, and the growth it takes to move forward.

I love this book with my whole heart, and I believe it is the perfect graphic novel. It is now an Oscar-nominated animated feature, so I’m not alone in my love of this beautiful story. 

A young girl, who appears to be different from the other kids in her town, finds a misplaced robot and teaches it the joys of nature (exploring, petting cats, skipping rocks, etc.). They continue to meet every day, and each day their friendship grows stronger. Eventually, the friends realize they are very different, and the robot longs to find more of his kind. 

The concepts are more advanced in this story than the others I’ve chosen. The girl is a loner who finds a friend she wants to protect by any means. The robot resists her protective nature because he wants to be free. Through this struggle, we watch the girl uncover a talent for tinkering and building that helps everyone in the end. 

Ben Hatke does so much storytelling in his amazing art. Most of the dialogue consists of Jonks, Morps, and other sound effects. I would recommend this… show more.

I am fascinated by stories of robots evolving into sentient beings. For a change, in this one, the robots do not rise up to destroy their masters. Instead, we are invited into a funny, tender, and exciting tale about a robot who finds herself castaway on a wilderness island and must learn what her purpose is and how to survive. As she and the animals who live there grow closer and closer together, she begins to find a home in the wilderness. A rich story that works on many levels at once. It is a tale about the interdependence of all things in nature, as well as about the perils and possibilities that technology is bringing to us. Best of all, it’s about kindness.