The Darkest Dark

by Chris Hadfield, Kate Fillion, Eric Fan (Illustrator)

Inspired by the childhood of real-life astronaut Chris Hadfield and brought to life by Terry and Eric Fan's lush, evocative illustrations, The Darkest Dark will encourage readers to dream the impossible.
Chris loves rockets and planets and pretending he's a brave astronaut, exploring the universe. Only one problem—at night, Chris doesn't feel so brave. He's afraid of the dark.
But when he watches the groundbreaking moon landing on TV, he realizes that space is the darkest dark there is—and the dark is beautiful and exciting, especially when you have big dreams to keep you company.

Genres: Picture Books, Space, Childrens, Canada, Biography, Science, Nonfiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

Chris Hadfield is one of the most seasoned and accomplished astronauts in the world. The top graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in 1988 and U.S. Navy test pilot of the year in 1991, Hadfield was selected by the Canadian Space Agency to be an astronaut in 1992. He was CAPCOM for 25 Shuttle launches and served as Director of NASA Operations in Star City, Russia from 2001-2003, Chief of Robotics at the Johnson Space Center in Houston from 2003-2006, and Chief of International Space Station Operations from 2006-2008. Hadfield most recently served as Commander of the International Space Station where, while conducting a record-setting number of scientific experiments and overseeing an emergency spacewalk, he gained worldwide acclaim for his breathtaking photographs and educational videos about life in space. His music video, a zero-gravity version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," received over 10 million views in its first three days online.

Reviews

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Darkest Dark is a children's picture book co-written by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion and co-illustrated by Eric Fan and Terry Fan. Young Chris is afraid of the dark until he sees the Eagle land on the moon and is moved by the beauty of space.

Chris Austin Hadfield is a retired Canadian Space Agency astronaut, engineer, science communicator, singer, and former fighter pilot. The first Canadian to walk in space, Hadfield has flown two Space Shuttle missions and served as commander of the International Space Station.

The text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Hadfield and collaborator Fillion tell the story of young Chris, who loves space but can't bear his own room once the lights are out. Backmatter includes a biography, photographs and illustrated mementos, and an inspiring message from Hadfield about the wonders of the night sky. The Fan brothers switch easily between fantasy elements and documentary images.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It's 1969, and Chris's parents tell him that if he can't stay in his own bed, he won't be able to go watch the moon landing on the neighbor's TV the following evening. The moon landing is mind-boggling in itself, but something even more important catches Chris's attention – he never noticed how dark it was in space. This new dark holds infinite promise, and it makes the ordinary dark of his bedroom less daunting.

All in all, The Darkest Dark is an uplifting book of overcoming fears and a must for the budding space explorer.

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY RATING: 4.5/5 STARS
I received a copy from Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books in exchange for a honest review. 

First off, I am a huge fan of Chris Hadfield. I fell in love with him when I read his memoir, An Astronaut Guide to Life on Earth. He was just such a fascinating person from his humble beginnings, his dreams of being an astronaut right from when he was a child to his older adult years. 

The Darkest Dark follows the story of a younger version of Chris. He's around six years old and every summer, he spends time at the cottage with his family. Chris enjoys spending his hours day dreaming of travelling to outer space with his pug, Albert. Together they zoom off in their make believe spaceships made out of the bathtub or stay up reading everything about space in bed. But things are changing. He's growing older now and his parents are trying to push him to be more independent. The first mission? Sleeping in his own bed. Chris is horrified at the thought because he's secretly very scared of the dark. In the dark, his wildest imaginations of creepy aliens come alive. When one of the biggest events in history happen, Chris slowly realizes that in order for him to be an astronaut he would have to conquer his biggest fear. 

I found this book to be so wonderfully written! I really enjoyed the simplicity of the story until the end when Chris kind of dipped deeper into more philosophical and his poetic side. The story definitely left a lasting impression on me and I hope adults pick up this book to cherish it with their hearts as well. 

MY RECOMMENDATION 
I loved everything about this book and although the style of illustrations weren't appealing to everyone, they still had amazing details that left my eyes scanning the pages back and forth way after I finished reading. Pick it up for your favourite space explorer! 

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield caught my eye because of the Fan Brothers. Their distinctive artistic style jumps out at me. But I have to say, the words, dreams, and message are what I will remember the most from this story.

“For the first time, Chris could see the power and mystery and velvety black beauty of the dark.

And, he realized, you’re never really alone there.
Your dreams are always with you, just waiting.
Big dreams, about the kind of person you want to be.”

Young Chris is scared of the dark. The dark shifts, grabs, and scares him like nothing else. But Chris wants to be an astronaut. He wants to float with the stars in space—the darkest dark of them all. Can Chris conquer his fear and achieve his dreams? Jump on board and see.

The pictures are beautiful too—don’t get me wrong! The way the darkness comes to life with little creatures shifting around in the shadows brought the fear of the dark to the page in a whole new way and style. And the Pug! :) The dog floating around in the space helmet made me smile. But the words really dug in and made an impression on me.

A wonderful true story that will inspire readers of all ages to reach for the stars.

Check it out from your local Library.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if a book written by and featuring Chris Hadfield isn't great enough, his first kids book includes the family pet - a pug! LOVE. Shout out to the Fan brothers for killing it with the illustrations, as usual. Will be one of the first books I buy for my soon to be born niece!

[Etienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and marvelously well illustrated. A perfect bedtime story!

[Hymerka · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Темрява — для мрій, а ранок — для того, щоб їх здійснювати."

Книжка-картинка для малюків з розряду "йди за мрією". Виділяє її з-поміж інших те, що вона заснована на спогадах з дитинства Кріса Гедфілда, який, побачивши по телевізору висадку на Місяць, запалав бажання стати астронавтом. У той час, коли він був маленьким, жодного шансу для канадця побувати в космосі не було, але Кріс наполегливо вчився, здобув потрібні навички і зрештою все склалося, а тепер і сам надихає малюків на великі мрії.

Історія хороша й ілюстрації красиві, але в мене є одне зауваження. У книзі малюк завдяки мрії перемагає страх темряви, і темряву чи то страх ілюстратори зобразили, як моторошних чорних істот із сяючими очима. Мені здається, що малюнок, де ці дивні створіння обсідають ліжко хлопчика, може налякати дошкільнят, зверніть на це увагу, якщо придивляєтеся до книжки.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Hadfield's memoir, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, from a few years ago. A couple of my book pals mentioned that he did a children's picture book, based on his childhood in Ontario, I knew I had to give it a try. It is a delight and the illustrations are beautiful.

[Claire Holloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book with lots of cross-curricular links for the children to explore. This book is about the astronaut Chris Hadfield; including his childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut and what inspired him to be an astronaut (the moon landing). This book has plenty of potential for children to engage in drama activities (such as tableaux, thought tracking, improvisation, writing in role and creating soundscapes) which children will enjoy participating in and using drama has a positive impact on children's writing and support them to generate ideas (Dalby and Burton, 2013; Branscombe, 2015; Lee et al., 2017), in addition to creating context and purpose for writing (Baldwin and Fleming, 2003; Cremin et al., 2006)- therefore this is a good book to start using dramatic enquiry. Furthermore, this book can be used to learn more about science - gravity, space and force. On the whole, this book was a really enjoyable read and shows children that 'dreams can come true', as Chris' childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut were achieved.

[BrookesEducationLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The darkest dark is a beautiful picture book inspired by Chris Hadfield's childhood, he dreams of one day becoming an astronaut and his imagination is limitless, yet he fears the dark and all the aliens that may be sneaking up on him at night until he watches the 1969 moon landings and realises that space is the darkest dark possible and he wants desperately to be able to explore it.
A lovely story about overcoming your fears and realising that darkness is the time for your dreams.

[Monica Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year I donate books to a elementary school library. This book was my favorite out of the 32 books in my 2017 selection. An astronaut who is afraid of the dark? Now that's a concept most kids can relate too. This is a great book for parents who have kids who have trouble sleeping. When we overcome our fears, no matter what they are, we set ourselves free.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful little story about conquering your fears and reaching for the stars - literally.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unimpressive story, particularly the sluggish first half. The gimmick that the author is an actual astronaut doesn't pay off.

[Alice Ludlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was introduced to this book in one of my English teaching seminars and loved it. Written by astronaut Chris Hadfield (famous for covering David Bowie’s Space Oddity on the ISS), it is based around his childhood dreams of being an astronaut. The story provides a beautiful, innocent account of the common childhood fear of being scared or the dark and what can be found hiding within it. The illustrations provide a further depth to how broad a child’s imagination can be, with hidden aliens scattered throughout.

In terms of my teaching, I was inspired about where this would fit into a wide variety of areas of the curriculum, including science, PHSE and history. Furthermore, I believe that as this is based upon a real astronauts account it may help some more reluctant readers to be drawn into the world of books and how they fit into the real world around us.

[Fiona Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the Canadian Astronaut, Chris Hadfield’s childhood. Chris always loved space and played make believe with his dog all day everyday. But, Chris could never sleep at night in fear of the dark and aliens. Until 1969, he watched Neil Armstrong step onto the moon. He was able to see the beauty of the dark night, his fear vanished and from that day onward he never gave up on his dream of becoming an astronaut himself! Teaching children to face their fears; to not fear the dark for it holds much wonder and beauty; and to never give up on their dreams.

[Matthew Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book! The Darkest Dark does a great job capturing the liveliness of a child's imagination, be it through acting out their aspirations or reacting to their fears. That young Chris goes from fearing the dark to understanding it and therefore conquering his fear, allowing him to follow his dreams is a powerful message.

The artwork from the Fan brothers is exceptional, in particular the star fields and moonscape draws comparisons with Satoshi Kitamura's UFO Diary in that it evokes a sense of wonder of the vastness of space while maintaining an element of motion.

I really enjoyed the additional material included. The short summary by Chris on how he became an astronaut as well as pictures from his childhood through to space link the story to real life, giving a greater depth to the experience.

Highly recommended!

[Harriet Coulson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to a group of children aged 5-8 years old and they absolutely LOVED it! This group of children had a real fascination with space and loved to hear the story of a real-life astronaut! The illustrations of the book were beautiful, the children loved looking at them and pointing out different space items hiding in the background. This book could be a great springboard for some exciting class work on Space!

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book, it beautifully captured the fascination we all have with space. The book deals with overcoming the very common fear of the dark. Being written by an astronaut gives the book a weight that could not otherwise be achieved and creates the sense of being able to reach your dreams whatever the dream is.

[Jayme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh. The cuteness. Such a sweet autobiographical tale about childhood fears and dreams. The art was so beautiful. So much detail went into the drawings that gave it extra historical weight…the Toronto Star newspaper on the nightstand dated July 16, 1969…Walter Cronkite’s face on the TV screen as everyone huddles around.

[Sarah Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! The fact it is written from a real-life astronaut makes it all the more exciting for the children and is very inspirational for children when thinking about their own dreams. The illustrations also really bring the book to life

[Haru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook of this and it was soooooo good, also very short haha

A great bedtime story tbh, super simple and a no brainer, also kinda poetic too

[Kenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute I want to die.

[Theodore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book and great for learning how to not be afraid of the dark! I thought it was inspiring too!

[Austra · Rating 4 out of 5]

My little treat. Par vistumšāko tumsu, kurā mīt briesmīgi briesmoņi, bet arī dzimst lieli sapņi. Kosmiski lieli sapņi.

[César · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book is beautiful.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy dreams of space but fears the dark in this engaging picture-book autobiography from Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, co-written with Kate Fillion and illustrated by the fabulously talented Fan brothers. Convinced that aliens are lurking in the dark, young Chris has trouble at bedtime, and doesn't really want to sleep in a separate room from his parents. But when he watches the Apollo 11 moon landing on TV in July of 1969, while on vacation on Stag Island, Ontario, he realizes that outer space, the very thing he finds most entrancing, is the darkest dark there is. This leads to a reassessment of what darkness is, and how he feels about it, as well as to a life-long goal of getting out into that darkness...

Less of a full biography than a brief memoir of a memorable episode from a memorable life, The Darkest Dark is both informative and entertaining. It functions as an exploration of a common childhood fear, and how young people might confront and overcome that fear, through reexamination and through expanding (or changing) one's perspective, but it is also a depiction of a momentous moment in human history, as seen through the eyes of one child. In this latter sense, it reminded me a bit of Dianna Hutts Aston's The Moon Over Star , which also dealt with a group watching the moon landing in 1969. I enjoyed the narrative here, finding the young Chris Hadfield a believable and sympathetic young protagonist, but I also greatly appreciated the illustrations. Having discovered the work of Fan brothers in their gorgeous picture-book debut, The Night Gardener , I was very excited to see this second title, and I was not disappointed. The artwork here, done in pencil and colored digitally, was absolutely lovely, capturing both the beauty and the menace of the dark which so frightened the story's hero. Recommended to young space lovers and would-be astronauts, as well as to children who are afraid of the dark.

[Lloyd Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

CONFESSION time. I hate the dark. When the lights go out your mind can play the most awful tricks on you.

Things appear to move, sounds seem to be heightened and absolutely anything, anything, could appear in the space where it once was not.

Cris Hadfield, now a world-famous astronaut, was also afraid of what the dark would bring when the light in his room was flicked off.

During the day he could let his vivid imagination run rampant as he fought off aliens and traversed through space.

But his bravado would all but disappear when it was dark.

Monsters would rise from under the bed and not even his night light could save him.

When he watched real life astronauts walking and jumping on the moon, it gave him a new perspective to night time and darkness. He describes outer space as being ‘the darkest dark ever.’

Sure, it was still a bit scary, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought it was.

If you have a child who is petrified of the dark, this book may just help them overcome their night time monsters or possibly give you a few ideas on how to help them tackle the boogeyman under their bed.

Either way, this book was a little too late for me.

I will definitely still hop, skip and jump my way to the bed when I flick the light switch off.

[Cindy Kleback · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about conquering your fears so that you can reach for the stars. In astronaut Chris Hadfield's case, that's what he literally did: conquered his fear of the dark after seeing the first moon landing.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Chris Hadfield is a God. We all know that. But he is also apparently extremely gifted in addressing children's fears. This is SUCH a beautiful book. I want to buy it. I want to read it to random children every day.

[Annie MacPherson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the biographical information at the end, but the illustrative tone and wording of the story really let it down. I also think this book might do more to make a child afraid of the dark, than help eradicate the fear.

[Brodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bumped it up from a 4 to a 5 for how beautiful the hardcover book is under the sleeve. It's going to be displayed front and center on my son's bookshelves.