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Chris Hadfield
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The Darkest Dark Hardcover – Picture Book, September 13, 2016

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,288 ratings
Editors' pick Best Books Ages 3-5
See all formats and editions
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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.
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  1. Reading age
    4 - 8 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    48 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Lexile measure
    AD550L
  6. Dimensions
    10.45 x 0.65 x 10.35 inches
  7. Publisher
    Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  8. Publication date
    September 13, 2016
  9. ISBN-10
    0316394726
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0316394727
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2—Canadian astronaut Hadfield presents an uplifting tale about a boy whose deep-rooted fears are eclipsed by the potency and possibility of his dreams for the future. It's July 1969, and Chris spends his days piloting his cardboard-box rocket, battling extraterrestrials, and voyaging to distant planets. But at night, fear of the dark has him seeing terrifying shadow aliens everywhere and seeking safety in his parents' bed. Everything changes when he watches the Apollo 11 moon landing on television and catches an awestruck glimpse of outer space, "the darkest dark ever." Later, unsettling shadows still occupy his unlit room, but Chris is different: with eyes newly opened to "the power and mystery and velvety black beauty of the dark," he can't wait to explore the night sky—a dream that will always keep him company (and ultimately come true). Rendered in graphite and digitally colored in dusky hues, the luminous illustrations provide realistic portrayals of the action along with emotionally evocative depictions of the fantastical elements, from the just-menacing-enough coal black silhouettes of nighttime creatures to a wonder-filled dreamscape showing the pajama-clad space-helmeted boy (and his loyal pug companion) floating above his bed surrounded by stars and planets, rocket ships, and animals. Back matter includes a biography, a reassuring message from the author, and photos. VERDICT A splendid story for soothing night fears, fostering future explorers, and teaching children that not even the sky's the limit when it comes to dreaming big.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal

Review

Praise for The Darkest Dark:
* "The Fan brothers (The Night Gardener) switch easily between fantasy elements and documentary images...The idea that a famous astronaut was once afraid of the dark may win some recalcitrant bed-goers' hearts, and readers with dreams of space travel will jump at this."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Illustrated edition (September 13, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316394726
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316394727
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD550L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.45 x 0.65 x 10.35 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,288 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Chris Hadfield

    Chris Hadfield

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    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, Colonel Hadfield was CAPCOM for twenty-five Shuttle missions and NASA’s Director of Operations in Russia. Hadfield 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," has nearly 50 million views, and his TED talk on fear has been viewed over 10 million times. He helped create and host the National Geographic miniseries One Strange Rock, with Will Smith, and has a MasterClass on exploration. Chris Hadfield's books An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, You Are Here and The Darkest Dark have been bestsellers all around the world.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Eric Fan

    Eric Fan

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Eric Fan is a picture book author and illustrator. One part of the creative team - with his brother Terry Fan - known collectively as the Fan Brothers. Their widely praised debut picture book The Night Gardener received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, and was Amazon's 2016 Best Book of the Year, ages 6-8.

    Together they also illustrated The Darkest Dark, written by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion, and The Antlered Ship, written by Dashka Slater. Their next book together, Ocean Meets Sky, publishes on May 15th 2018.

    Eric has a passion for vintage bikes, clockwork contraptions, and impossible dreams. He lives by the lake, which he likes to imagine is the sea.

    See more on the author's page
  3. Terry Fan

    Terry Fan

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Terry Fan is a picture book author and illustrator. One part of a creative team - with his brother Eric - known collectively as The Fan Brothers. Their widely praised debut picture book The Night Gardener received starred reviews in Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus, and was Amazon's 2016 Best Book of the Year, ages 6-8.

    Together they also illustrated The Darkest Dark (Publisher's Weekly starred review), written by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion, and The Antlered Ship (Publisher's Weekly & Kirkus starred reviews), written by Dashka Slater. The Antlered Ship was also Amazon's 2017 Best Book of the Year, ages 6-8. Their next book together, Ocean Meets Sky, publishes on May 15th, 2018 and is available for preorder. Ocean Meets Sky has already received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist and SLJ.

    Terry received his formal art training at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. Before he could even talk, he was doodling airplanes on the walls. As a grown-up, he spends his days (and nights) creating magical paintings, portraits and prints. Born in Illinois, he now lives in Toronto, near the shores of Lake Ontario, which he likes to imagine is the sea.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
1,288 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the illustrations beautiful, wonderful, and masterful in matching and adhering words with art. They describe the story as nice, fun, and based on a real story. Readers also mention the book is great for kids and perfect for young dreamers.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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IllustrationsStory qualityAge rangeInspiration
27 customers mention "Illustrations"27 positive0 negative

Customers find the illustrations beautiful, wonderful, and masterful. They appreciate the small details and subtle warmth.

"...The illustrations are beautiful too. This is our family’s new favorite children’s book." Read more

"...remains simple and engaging for my four year old and the illustrations are glorious and reminiscent of Maurice Sendak. I highly recommend this book...." Read more

"...The pictures have a subtle full warmth that you rarely see and the story is thoughtful with a great message for kids...." Read more

"...However the book itself is fantastic. The illustrations are great. I love this book. Chris Hadfield is really neat!" Read more

21 customers mention "Story quality"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the story nice, fun, and interesting. They say it's based on a real story and is a great way to share stories of amazing people with their students.

"...The story is extremely sweet/touching/inspirational and the “follow your dreams” message really hit home for my daughter...." Read more

"...Great story and great for kids." Read more

"...pictures have a subtle full warmth that you rarely see and the story is thoughtful with a great message for kids...." Read more

"...This a great story about a little boy who eventually became a astronaut. My students really enjoyed this story!" Read more

7 customers mention "Age range"7 positive0 negative

Customers say the book is great for kids and perfect for young dreamers. They mention it calms darkness fears while encouraging imagination.

"...Great story and great for kids." Read more

"...Thanks for writing such a delightful book for young children, Chris, to teach them that the dark too has it's brightness and treasures!" Read more

"...The book is charming and helps calm darkness fears, while encouraging imagination. The illustrations are beautiful!..." Read more

"The illustrations are beautiful. The story is cute, highly appropriate for 4-8 year olds. Enjoyed the Stag Island ties...." Read more

6 customers mention "Inspiration"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring and helpful for easing fear of the dark. They say it's thoughtful and has a great message for kids.

"...The story is extremely sweet/touching/inspirational and the “follow your dreams” message really hit home for my daughter...." Read more

"...warmth that you rarely see and the story is thoughtful with a great message for kids...." Read more

"...This man wanted to be astronaut and he made it happen! Great inspiration." Read more

"...I liked it and my students liked it. Very motivating message to face your fears." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

JJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
My 3 year old grabbed this book at the library based on the pictures. We fell in love with the story and came here to amazon to buy it after reading our library book every day for a month. The story is extremely sweet/touching/inspirational and the “follow your dreams” message really hit home for my daughter. The illustrations are beautiful too. This is our family’s new favorite children’s book.
2 people found this helpful
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Andrew
5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend this book
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
Now, those in my family may be a bit biased due to being avid fans of the sordid adventures of retired astronaut Chris Hadfield, but this book over its two days in our possession is already seeing quite a bit of use. The dialogue remains simple and engaging for my four year old and the illustrations are glorious and reminiscent of Maurice Sendak. I highly recommend this book. It's subject matter - getting over the fear of the dark - is perfect for bedtime and on point for its intended age group. I'm particularly fond of the message from Hadfield in the back which states, "The dark is for dreams and the morning is for making them come true." May we all dream just as big.
40 people found this helpful
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Steve
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Kids
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
When i saw this book at a bookstore I read the first page and it reminded me of my past as a child. The wording just hooked me in so I bought this book. My daughter loves it and the extra fun for her is that parts of the book and pages glow in the dark. I have even caught her looking at the book (when i thought she was asleep) in the dark because of the glow in dark parts.

Great story and great for kids.
2 people found this helpful
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Neko
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful children's book by the astronaut who recorded a music video for Space Oddity while in space!
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is a beautiful children's book, I can't wait to read it with my nephew. The pictures have a subtle full warmth that you rarely see and the story is thoughtful with a great message for kids. I also want to point out that the author is the same astronaut that did the Space Oddity music video in space a few years ago! A true Renaissance man, someone you can be happy if your kids use as a role model...I definitely recommend this book.
5 people found this helpful
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✨Ashlee✨
5.0 out of 5 stars Biography picture books are MY JAM!!
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2019
Verified Purchase
I love learning about people and picture books. So when I find biography picture books I always get them! It was a great way to share the stories of amazing people with my students through reading and illustrations. This a great story about a little boy who eventually became a astronaut. My students really enjoyed this story!
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Ash
4.0 out of 5 stars Torn book sleeve but good content
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2019
Verified Purchase
Ours arrived with the book cover torn which was a bummer because it should have been a beautiful book. However the book itself is fantastic. The illustrations are great. I love this book. Chris Hadfield is really neat!
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CATherine H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Though I merely quickly perused the book when it arrived ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2016
Verified Purchase
Though I merely quickly perused the book when it arrived, I could see that this is very well written [would expect nothing less from the fabulous Chris Hadfield] and I became more excited than ever to present it to my nephew and his two sisters. Or rather, the book will be wrapped in festive Christmas paper for the kids to share over the holidays. Thanks for writing such a delightful book for young children, Chris, to teach them that the dark too has it's brightness and treasures!
7 people found this helpful
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Teena Janay Roberson
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is just great! My four year old learned about Chris Hadfield ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book is just great! My four year old learned about Chris Hadfield from an uncle and we love to watch his video posts (especially the one about how to brush your teeth in space). This book shows Chris as a boy and his love for space. Drawings are lovely. First time we read it - immediately my son wanted to read again.....and again. We did it four times in a row. My boy really relates to the book. Well Done!!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Caroline Lucas
5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring read
Reviewed in Canada on May 29, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book is a touching story about a young Chris Hadfield conquering his fear and realizing his dreams. The illustrations are beautiful and it has become one of my son’s favourite books.
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Rodrigo García González
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro, inmejorable calidad precio
Reviewed in Spain on March 13, 2018
Verified Purchase
Excelente libro, tanto en calidad, papel, color, historia, ilustración. Muy recomendable para niños que sueñan con metas complicadas, se lo he regalado a mi hija que quiere ser astronauta y no podéis imaginar la carita de ilusión mientras se lo leía. Mi hija tiene un nivel de inglés equivalente a unos 9 años aunque tiene 7, no es un inglés básico, ojo que a veces esto hace que el libro no les guste por no comprender la historia, o terminas traduciéndosela.
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Ananda Chakraborty
5.0 out of 5 stars Introduce your child to story book reading
Reviewed in India on July 17, 2017
Verified Purchase
Terrific story. Awesome quality (I bought paperback) of the pages. Really engrossing. It's short, full of illustrations and my daughter loved it, so did I.
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joel
5.0 out of 5 stars Magnifique biographie.
Reviewed in France on December 18, 2016
Verified Purchase
Chris Hadfield nous raconte à travers ce livre sa motivation à devenir astronaute comme si il nous étions son confident. Au delà de la petite histoire pour enfant, se révèle une grande histoire pour grands enfants. A lire en version originale: c'est facile et aucune traduction ne perturbe le texte.
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Mr. Neil D. Armour
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story, wonderfully illustrated and hugely inspirational
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is a beautiful book... other reviewers have mentioned that there is the possibility to scare your children with some of the alien references. My four year old daughter is terrified of the dark and the shadows and has an incredibly overactive imagination so I approached this one carefully. When we came to the page in question I didn't draw any more attention to the creatures than I had to but she was so absorbed in the story that she barely batted an eyelid. The story follows Chris as a child in the run up to witnessing the 1969 moon landings and his childhood dreams enacted out in his own imagination as a child.

It is a truly beautiful, inspiring story that left me with a tear in my eye and a warm fuzzy feeling of determination that I must do whatever I can to ensure that my own children will also reach for the stars.
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