- Picture Books
- Ages 4–8
- Art & Creativity
Invisible Things
A bold, clever picture book that makes invisible experiences such as smells, sounds, feelings and ideas visible. Brilliant for visual thinkers, emotional vocabulary, mindfulness and children who like unusual, design-led books.
- Best for4–8
- FormatPicture
- Length52 pp
- Read aloud~10 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Whimsical
- Thought provoking
- Warm
- Silly
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Invisible Things asks children to think about all the important things they experience but cannot see: sounds, smells, tastes, textures, feelings, ideas and more. Andy J. Pizza and Sophie Miller imagine what those invisible things might look like if they could be drawn, turning abstract sensations and emotions into bright, funny, graphic images. The result is part concept book, part mindfulness prompt and part creative invitation. It encourages children to pay attention to the present moment, notice what is happening inside and around them, and invent visual language for things that usually stay hidden. This is a strong pick because it is genuinely distinctive: playful enough for children, conceptually rich enough for adults, and useful for art, emotional literacy, sensory awareness and discussion-led reading.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 4–8
- Read aloud · 4–9
- Independent · 6–9
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Emotional literacy
- Sensory awareness
- Visual thinkers
- Mindfulness
- Creative prompt
Avoid if
- Wants story arc
- Prefers quiet traditional art
- Wants realistic plot
Particularly good for children who are…
- Interested in art and creativity
- Anxiety and worry
- Neurodiversity or learning differences
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A witty, imaginative picture book that names the 'invisible things' we feel — a clever prompt for talk about emotions and noticing.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is being shown what you can't see — sounds, smells, feelings and ideas all drawn as bright graphic shapes, the picture book treating invisible things as if they're real to be noticed. A four-year-old gets a new way to talk about what's happening inside and around them.
- Becoming invisible
- Magic powers
- Making a difference
- Secret world
Why parents love it
The picture book that makes invisible experiences visible — Andy J. Pizza turning sounds, smells, feelings and ideas into graphic illustrations. Useful for emotional vocabulary, mindfulness work, and any creative-thinking child who loves design-led books. Genuinely original.
- Conversation starter
- Educational for adult too
- Shared humour
- Beautiful illustrations
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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