The Astronaut Next Door

  • Interesting and bizarre facts about space travel
  • Real "rocket science" combined with a fun story

Oh no, Maya is sick and the holidays are just around the corner! Instead of going to her grandparents, she has to stay at home. Worse still, all her friends are on holiday, Dad is away on business and Mum has to work. No one can look after Maya. Except Josi, maybe ... she's normally very busy, but right now she has a few days off from her astronaut training. And she has such interesting things to tell! Maya's nursery quickly becomes a space station and Maya becomes an astronaut… well, almost.

An almost completely true story: author Inga Marie Ramcke spoke to real cosmonauts and astronauts and was allowed to ask them everything. The result is an exciting read-aloud book with lots of interesting facts about space travel.

Contact Foreign Rights
Rights sold to

China (simplified Chinese)

  • Publisher: Fischer Sauerländer
  • Release: 29.10.2025
  • ISBN: 978-3-7373-7482-8
  • 160 Pages
  • Authors: Inga Marie Ramcke
  • Illustrated by: Lada Chizhova
Buchcover von The Astronaut Next Door
Inga Marie Ramcke Lada Chizhova The Astronaut Next Door
Portrait von Inga Marie Ramcke
© Annette Schrader
Inga Marie Ramcke

Inga Marie Ramcke loves both science and people. Her books, workshops, radio features and science communication project ‘Plötzlich Wissen!’ (Suddenly Knowledge!) are all about having fun while learning new things. 

Portrait von Lada Chizhova
© Tamara Aptekar
Lada Chizhova

Lada Chizhova, born in Siberia in 1991, is an illustrator, graphic designer and author. She writes poetry and children's stories and works in both digital and analogue formats. She lives in Mannheim, Germany.