Invisible Things
Part of the collectionInvisible Things→Two companion picture books that give shape to the invisible and the unknown; philosophical, funny and wonder-filled, for curious four-to-eights.
- Books2
- Arcs1
- Span2023–2026
- StatusOngoing
The series
At a glance.
A companion pair of picture books by the New York Times-bestselling team of Andy J. Pizza and Sophie Miller, published by Chronicle Books. Each takes something abstract, the invisible feelings and forces of everyday life in the first book, the world's mysteries and unknowns in the second, and makes it visible, personable and funny through a cast of charming personified curiosities and Sophie Miller's bright, characterful art. The books share a voice, energetic, meandering, gently philosophical, and a purpose: to reassure children that not knowing is not something to fear but the very beginning of learning. Quietly STEM-minded and firmly on the side of wonder, they are conversation-starters that reward rereading and land as well with the adults sharing them as with the children.
Two companion picture books that give shape to the invisible and the unknown; philosophical, funny and wonder-filled, for curious four-to-eights.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Whimsical
- Thought provoking
- Warm
- Inspirational
Invisible Things came first (2023) and is the natural entry point; Mysterious Things (2026) is a companion volume by the same team. They share a voice and approach but each reads perfectly well on its own, in any order.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- IStandalone collection arcLow sensitivity
Seeing the unseen
Two companion picture books that personify the invisible feelings and the unsolved mysteries of the world, on the side of curiosity and wonder.
The pair works as a themed collection rather than a story with a beginning and end. Invisible Things, the New York Times bestseller that started it, gives shape and character to the intangible forces of everyday life; Mysterious Things carries the same warm, witty, wonder-filled approach into the world's puzzles, lost and forgotten things, dreams, dark matter, and the things we don't even know we don't know. Both use personified curiosities and bright mixed-media art to turn big, abstract ideas into something a young reader can hold, laugh at and think about. The shared message across both is gently radical: curiosity is a superpower, and not knowing is where learning begins.
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 4–8
- Read aloud · 4–8
- Independent · 6–8
Reluctant-reader friendliness
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Adult crossover
High
Grows with the reader
Designed to
Sensitivity envelope
Low overall, and consistent.
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
Similar in feel
Different shelves, same wavelength.
- Big Ideas for Curious Minds →
About the author