Not restricted to the original trilogy, this new book from Jeffrey Brown, Darth Vader and Friends, takes a lighthearted look at the Star Wars universe. With Darth Vader looking out for his kids, Luke and Leia, everywhere from Mos Eisley to the Cloud City provides a fresh context.
Alternate uses for carbon freezing, the hilarity that would ensue with a clone army that all looked alike, and how Han really won the Millennium Falcon from Lando are all covered in this book. Each page or spread tells a little joke, setting a scene from the movies, except with many of the characters as children. It mostly covers the original trilogy, but there are a few nods to the prequels as well.
I laughed out loud more than once as I read this book. It’s cute in its own right, but it is best enjoyed when one is quite familiar with the movies, since many of the jokes will be lost on the uninitiated. If your kids are as yet unfamiliar with the movies, have a Star Wars Retrospective Day this summer or on a weekend to help them fill in their cultural knowledge.
Look for other books in this series by Jeffrey Brown including Darth Vader and Son, Vader’s Little Princess, and Goodnight Darth Vader, the last of which contains rhyming poetry to calm your kids down for bedtime. That book contains quite a lot more of the prequels, so if your kids are fans, be sure to check it out.
Jeffrey Brown also wrote Kids Are Weird, a greatly amusing collection of kid-isms, like all of our kids do at one point or another.
Pre-order a copy of Darth Vader and Friends for your little Star Wars fan before it comes out on April 28. They will read it over and over, or beg you to do so. It will take you a long time to tire of it, however, unlike with many children’s books.
Note: I received a copy of this book for review purposes.
