Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who has already published two books for adults – 2013’s An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth and 2014’s You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes in 2014 – will publish his first-ever book for young people in fall 2016.

The Darkest Dark, a picture-book about a boy who was once afraid of the dark but now hopes to one day explore the universe as an astronaut, was acquired by Penguin Random House Canada publisher Tara Walker under the Tundra Books imprint. The title will appear from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in the U.S. and Macmillan Children’s Books in the U.K. (world rights excluding North American English and French).

The book was co-written by Toronto writer Kate Fillion and illustrated by Toronto-based The Night Gardener artists Terry Fan and Eric Fan, known as The Fan Brothers.

The U.S. and Canadian deals were arranged by Rick Broadhead & Associates. The U.K. deal was arranged by Ron Eckel at the Cooke Agency International on behalf of Rich Broadhead & Associates. The Fan Brothers are represented by Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions.