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Exhibitionists

Why astronaut Chris Hadfield is going from outer space to your child's bookshelf

Author and astronaut Chris Hadfield's first children's book, The Darkest Dark, hits the stands on September 10th.

You may have already heard of Canada's newest kid lit author — he's the country's most high-profile astronaut

Mercedes Grundy · CBC Arts ·

Chris Hadfield's new book teaches kids how to conquer The Darkest Dark

8 years ago
Duration 3:09
CBC Arts gets an inside look at Chris Hadfield’s debut children’s book, The Darkest Dark.

Who could be more qualified to talk to your children about conquering fears than someone who spent nearly five months in outer space?

Author and astronaut Chris Hadfield is releasing his first children's book, The Darkest Dark, on September 10th. The book, which he co-wrote with writer Kate Fillion, transports young readers to Stag Island in Southern Ontario on the night of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. There, we meet nine-year-old "Chris," who discovers a way to conquer his fear of the dark and follow his dreams.

CBC Arts caught up with Hadfield and the book's illustrators, brothers Terry and Eric Fan, to get an inside look at their collaboration and to find out how working with Hadfield helped the Fans overcome some of their own fears.

Watch Exhibitionists Sundays at 4:30pm (5 NT) on CBC.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mercedes Grundy

Mercedes Grundy is a producer for CBC's Unscripted division. She has played an integral role in the creation of series like Exhibitionists, The Filmmakers and Canada's a Drag as well as special projects like Superqueeroes and The 2010s: The Decade Canadian Artists Stopped Saying Sorry. Collectively, these projects have won Grundy 5 Canadian Screen Awards. She has an educational background in photography, and produces film and theatre when not busy here at the CBC.

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