My Night in the Planetarium

“A stirring tribute to the power of the arts to challenge injustice, recounted with the confidence of a practiced storyteller.” —Publishers Weekly“My Night in the Planetarium could not have come to us at a better time; it is just the kind of story children need to hear. Right away.” —Rethinking Schools “My Night in the Planetarium is a sweet, smart tribute to the author’s father, to the radical power of art, and to the rich history of Indonesia. With gorgeous illustrations and an engaging narrative, this is art and resistance as seen through a child’s eyes, and told by a fantastic storyteller.”—Kate Schatz, author of the New York Times bestseller Rad American Women A-Z“Can children be fascinated by dictatorship, persecution, the struggle against silence in a country very few people have heard about? This enchanting book proves that this sort of story, treated with delicacy and humor can – and should – reach a wide audience.” —Ariel Dorfman, Playwright, novelist, and human rights activist. Author of Death and the Maiden, and many other works. “This is an all-ages masterpiece. There are few people who are looking at children’s lit through the anti-oppression lens. I was incredibly moved by this book on every possible level.” —Dan Zanes “I loved this story so much, my God it is just like the reality we are living in, just like a mirror, it inspires and guides us to do what we need to do. This story makes us want to cry and scream out: it is enough, let us be brave and stop lying to ourselves, face the reality! It is a story that gives us hope and tells us not to hesitate and it teaches our children to always follow the truth even if it is sometimes difficult.” —Nabil Al-Raee, Artistic Director at The Freedom Theatre in Jenin refugee camp, Palestine “Innosanto Nagara’s beautifully illustrated My Night in the Planetarium is a delightful narrative about Indonesia: the fourth largest country, which we should all know more about. Told from the point of view of himself as a young boy, the story encourages children to be curious, engaged and courageous. What a wonderful lesson about history and people power, written and illustrated with great charm and wit.” —Medea Benjamin, co-founder Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women For Peace

INNOSANTO NAGARA’s new-wave board books encourage children to grow up with confidence in themselves, and to be proactive citizens who are passionate about causes from environmental issues to LGBTQ rights and civil rights. Nagara was born and raised in Indonesia, and moved to the US in 1988. After studying zoology and philosophy at UC Davis, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he worked as a graphic designer for a range of social change organizations, before founding the Design Action Collective, a worker-owned cooperative design studio in Oakland, California.