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: he's absolutely terrified of the dark.

His parents give him an ultimatum — sleep in his own room, or miss watching the moon landing at the neighbour's house the next day. The following evening, crowded around a neighbour's television with half the island watching history unfold, something unexpected happens. Young Chris doesn't just see astronauts walking on the moon — he notices how dark space is. Infinitely, beautifully dark. And suddenly, the dark in his own bedroom doesn't seem so scary anymore.

Fun Fact: The book is set on Stag Island, Ontario — where the real Chris Hadfield actually spent summers as a child. The cozy lakeside cabins and pine-tree silhouettes in the illustrations are inspired by that real place.

The Gossip-Worthy Details About Chris Hadfield

Here's where things get genuinely fascinating. Chris Hadfield is not your typical Canadian author. The man commanded the International Space Station, conducted two spacewalks, flew three missions to space, and was once named the top graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. He also piloted a Russian Soyuz spacecraft — one of only a handful of non-Russians ever to do so.

But perhaps the most viral moment of his career came in 2013, when he recorded a zero-gravity cover of David Bowie's Space Oddity — floating in the ISS, guitar in hand — and posted it to YouTube. The video racked up over 50 million views and made global headlines. Bowie himself reportedly loved it. Not bad for a kid from Milton, Ontario who once couldn't sleep without checking under his bed for aliens.

Hadfield has also co-hosted television with Will Smith on National Geographic's One Strange Rock, hosted the BBC series Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?, and delivered a TED Talk on fear that has been viewed over 10 million times. His adult memoir An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth became a New York Times bestseller. Altogether, his books have sold over a million copies worldwide.

The Fan Brothers: Canada's Secret Illustration Powerhouse

The moody, luminous artwork in The Darkest Dark comes from Terry and Eric Fan, two Toronto brothers who trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design. Their debut picture book, The Night Gardener, was named Amazon's Best Book of the Year for ages 6–8 in 2016. Their style — a haunting blend of ink, graphite, and digital painting — gives the shadow creatures on the cover that perfect balance of spooky and loveable. Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, calling their work a seamless blend of fantasy and documentary imagery.

Why This Book Still Resonates

At its core, The Darkest Dark delivers a message that goes far beyond bedtime fears. It tells children — and adults — that the things we're most afraid of might actually be the very things worth exploring. The dark isn't the enemy; it's where dreams live. Hadfield closes the book with a personal note: "The dark is for dreams — and morning is for making them come true."

For Canadian families especially, there's something deeply moving about a book that connects a Milton farm boy's childhood summers in Ontario to the command deck of the International Space Station. It's proof that big dreams don't require a perfect start — just the courage to stop fearing the dark.

If you're building a Canadian author reading list or looking for picture books that genuinely inspire, The Darkest Dark belongs at the top. Explore more Canadian book series and author guides at Got Book Series in Order — your go-to resource for reading Canadian authors in the right order.