The moment he picked up a guitar, we knew there was more than space exploration to astronaut Chris Hadfield’s stellar resume. Then he added even more of a creative twist by penning The Darkest Dark, a children’s book blending his love of space with a fear of the dark.

In it, young Chris fears darkness until he watches the Moon landing—a landmark moment that moves him to open up to the beauty of space. Kirkus calls The Darkest Dark “An uplifting, valuable addition to the “scared of the dark” bookshelf and a must for the budding space explorer (or really, any dreamer)”.

Now that book is among the finalists for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award—one of several awards handed out as part of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards. The awards celebrate the year’s best writing targeting young readers.

The winners will be announced November 21 in Toronto.