  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 10/01/2016 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 - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 11/01/2016 As a young child, Chris is fascinated by space, but he’s afraid of the dark and spends his nights in his parents’ bed, much to their chagrin. In an effort to get him to sleep in his own room, Chris’ father says, “One more peep, young man, and I’m afraid we’ll all be too tired to go next door tomorrow.” That does the trick, since next door is where Chris will be able to watch the moon landing, and there’s nothing more important to him than that. The epic 1969 event becomes a turning point in his life, since, “for the first time, Chris could see the power and mystery and velvety black beauty of the dark.” Suddenly, the dark isn’t so scary any more. The Fans’ whimsical illustrations of nighttime scenes, in a dusky twilight palette, help illustrate Chris’ fears as well as his excitement about the boundless possibilities of exploration in the dark. A warm and empowering story of triumph over fears. Closes with additional information about Hadfield’s career as an astronaut. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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