The Darkest Dark: The Children's Book Written by a Real Astronaut — and the Fascinating Story Behind It
Take one look at the cover of The Darkest Dark and you immediately feel it — a boy and his dog standing on a moonlit dock, surrounded by glowing-eyed shadow monsters, staring into a vast and magical night. It's the kind of illustration that stops you cold in the middle of a bookstore aisle. But what makes this Canadian picture book truly extraordinary isn't just the art. It's the fact that the author, Colonel Chris Hadfield , is one of the most celebrated astronauts in history — and the story is actually his own childhood . What Is The Darkest Dark About? Published in 2016, The Darkest Dark is a children's picture book co-written by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion, and illustrated by the Toronto-based Fan Brothers (Terry and Eric Fan). The story is set on July 19, 1969 — the night before the Apollo 11 moon landing. Young Chris loves pretending he's an astronaut, battling aliens, and exploring imaginary galaxies. But there's one big problem: ...