10 Solar Eclipse Books for Kids
A solar eclipse is one of those rare events you want to make sure your kids remember. Read one of these solar eclipse books for kids to enhance their experience.
UPDATE February 2024: We’re getting another total eclipse in the U.S. this spring, and so I’m updating this post with a couple of brand new books!
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I love using books to prepare kids for new experiences. When my twins were barely three, they were flower girls in their aunt’s wedding. A sweet little book helped them understand what to expect. (and they did great!)
An eclipse is kind of like a wedding in its importance, but more fleeting. The total eclipse coming up on August 21, 2017 April 8th, 2024 will only last a few minutes. I want my kids to understand and appreciate every second of it.
RELATED: Solar Eclipse Craft for Kids
Solar Eclipse Books for Kids – Fiction (Mostly)
These solar eclipse books for kids can spark your children’s interest and imagination, as well as answer many of their questions. (I have to admit here – I needed a few eclipse books too! I’ve learned a lot researching this post!)
Several of my choices here are hard to find new, but available in libraries. A few others probably are too new to be in your library. Like I said — eclipses are a rare thing — as are eclipse books, apparently.
Someone Is Eating the Sun (affiliate) by Ruth A Sonneborn and Eric Gurney. Hen sees an eclipse beginning, and thinks that “someone has taken a bite out of the sun.” She runs to tell the other animals, one after another, with each joining her to tell the rest. Then they look up and see the eclipse – clearly illustrated stage by stage. When it’s over they celebrate. (I swear I remember this one from my childhood!)
The Day the Sun Disappeared (affiliate) by John Hamberger has a similar story line. The daytime animals are alarmed when it grows dark in the middle of the day. The night animals wake up and sleepily start “going about their regular business.” Then the sun re-emerges from the eclipse and the day animals celebrate its return, while the night animals return to their “cozy beds.”
The Big Eclipse (affiliate) by Nancy Coffelt is informative and fun. A hippo reporter, with an owl “eye in the sky” follow the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. Sidebars explain further, on topics such as eye safety, eclipses in mythology, and of course the astronomical facts. My kids were eager to read through this book with me. (Disclosure: I requested and gratefully received a digital review copy from the publisher.)
Sun & Moon: A Giant Love Story (affiliate) by Lisa Desimini. A boy-giant and a girl-giant live on opposite sides of the earth. The girl follows the moon around the nighttime side the earth. She’s lonely without any friends her size. The boy follows the sun because he’s afraid of the dark. You see where this is going.… An eclipse comes. The children meet and realize they’re “giants on the same planet.” The vivid, surrealistic illustrations drew my daughter into this book.
The Day My Dogs Became Guys (affiliate) by Merrill Markoe and Eric Brace. During an eclipse, a boy’s dogs turn into humans, but still act like dogs. The mayhem that ensues is sure to bring a few giggles. The focus is really on all the crazy things the dogs do, like eating an entire roast turkey and getting stuck under a bed. There’s not much detail about the eclipse, other than being the probable reason for the dogs’ behavior.
Sunpainters: Eclipse of the Navajo Sun by Baje Whitethorne. The story of a Navajo boy and his grandfather during a solar eclipse. I’m still waiting on a copy of this from my library, and will update my review here when it comes in. It sounds really good!
Where Did the Sun Go? Myths and Legends of Solar Eclipses Around the World Told with Poetry and Puppetry (affiliate) by Janet Cameron Hoult looks like a good choice if you’re interested in the mythology of eclipses at a level for younger students.
Every Soul a Star (affiliate) by Wendy Mass. Told from several points of view, this chapter book for upper elementary has well-developed, interesting characters, and an eclipse at its center.
New Solar Eclipse Fiction!
Here are the two new books I found for you in 2024. They are quite different from each other, and I love them both!
A Few Beautiful Minutes: Experiencing a Solar Eclipse by Kate Allen Fox. This gorgeous new picture book uses poetic language to tell young readers what to expect and why it’s so exciting. I think grownups will enjoy reading this one aloud just as much as little ones will want to hear and see it.
Total Solar Eclipse: A Stellar Friendship Story (affiliate) by Jayme Sandberg. If you’re worried about your kids keeping their eclipse glasses on, this cute, relatable book is for you. Plus, the story has additional themes of friendship and jealousy, so it also fits in well with your social-emotional lessons. You can even purchase this book directly from the author, which I think is nice. (I usually steer away from self-published books because so many of them are terrible. Luckily, that’s not the case here – I think this one is great!)
Solar Eclipse Books for Kids – Nonfiction
Eclipses (affiliate) by Nick Hunter is a detailed, fully illustrated nonfiction choice for elementary-aged kids. It covers both lunar and solar eclipses, effects on wildlife, and even gets into eclipses on other planets!
Looking Up!: The Science of Stargazing (affiliate) by Joe Rao is a more general nonfiction early reader about observing the sky. The engaging text covers the sun, comets, constellations, eclipses, and more. It also has an extra section dedicated to the August 2017 solar eclipse.
New Solar Eclipse Nonfiction Books for Kids
I also found you a new nonfiction book:
Eclipse: How the 1919 Solar Eclipse Proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity by Darcy Pattison. I learned something new from this fascinating book, and I think brainy upper elementary or even middle schoolers would also enjoy it.
I’m still searching for one more new nonfiction book and will update here if I find one I think you’ll like.
Back in 2017 I was disappointed that we didn’t live near the path of totality. We only had a partial eclipse here in Texas back then. 2024 is our year though! We’re only a short drive away this time, and I can’t wait to see it! I hope you can experience it too.
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