Read, You Must: Even MORE Little Golden Books

The Skywalker Saga is now complete in Little Golden Book form! 

With the recent release of the Little Golden Book adaption of The Rise of Skywalker, it is now possible to read the entire saga as part of this classic children's book series.

The interior art is by Alan Batson (We Are the Resistance, I Am a Pilot, The Last Jedi), with a cover by Caleb Meurer (The Force Awakens, A New Hope). For some reason no author is credited for this book unlike the previous Star Wars Golden Book titles.

In the typical retro cartoonish art style of the previous books, The Rise of Skywalker retells the events of the film in a fun and kid-friendly way.

With this release, young fans can now enjoy reading all nine Skywalker saga "episodes" as well as Solo. The only Star Wars film to date that has not been adapted to this series is Rogue One. 
 

Also out now: The Mandalorian: This Is the Way Little Golden Book! Written by Christopher Nicholas and Illustrated by Shane Clester (I Am a Padawan), The most exciting Disney+ series gets its own picture book. There are more cool The Mandalorian books coming for young readers, but this appears to be the first one available.

Click the links above to see more fun Little Golden Books Star Wars adventures!

Read, You Must: I Am A Padawan

It's been a while since we had a look at the Star Wars Little Golden Books. Returning to the Star Wars galaxy in 2015 with adaptations of each of the movies, the classic Little Golden books line has continued and has well over 20 related titles in the past few years!

One running theme looks at all aspects of what it means to be who you are, in the Star Wars galaxy. This inspirational series started with I am a Jedi, I am a Droid, I am a Pilot and even included the bad guys with I am a Sith! Each has the trademark retro style of painted illustrations and simple story usually with a motivational message about being yourself, rising to challenges, helping others, making friends etc.

More recent titles in this series have included I am a Princess, I am a Hero, I am a Wookiee, I am a Stormtrooper, and We Are the Resistance.

The latest addition to this theme is the Clone Wars-focused I am a Padawan, written by Ahsoka Tano herself, Ashley Eckstein! The voice of Ahsoka for The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Eckstein has previously written the empowering 2018 book It's Your Universe, and is the founder of the Her Universe fangirl fashion line.

This is a rare instance – possibly the first and only instance - where a major Star Wars performer has become a Star Wars author!

 

The story inside tells of the life of a young Jedi, learning from Masters and Knights alike. Acts of bravery, selflessness and friendship are all here, along with the challenges Ahsoka specifically faced during her Jedi training years. The circle of learning becoming the teacher provides many helpful messages for young readers.

The wonderful illustrations by Shane Clester continue the stylized retro-cartoon look of all the Star Wars Little Golden Books.

Fans of The Clone Wars will especially enjoy this book with many characters like Clone Commander Rex, Barriss Offee, Asajj Ventress, Plo Koon, Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, and many other making surprise appearances in the illustrations. Even young Saw Gerrera makes an appearance, his only one in a Little Golden Book. Rogue One is so far the only Star Wars movie not adapted in this line.

I am a Padawan is full of great little life-lessons and ideals for younglings, and is almost a must-have for ANY fan of The Clone Wars!

Publisher’s Recommendation: Ages 2 - 5 years

Also available:

Coming August 2020!

R2-D2 is LOST! ...and a Lot of Fun!

The duo that brought us C-3PO Does Not Like Sand! returns with another fun Droid Tales picture book featuring R2-D2, C-3PO and BB-8 from Disney - Lucasfilm Press.

Set some time after The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi - indicated only by the fact that the three droids know each other - author Caitlin Kennedy (The Galaxy Needs You) takes the trio on an adventure, this time returning to the forest moon of Endor, home to the Ewoks.

C-3PO delights again in being worshipped by the furry Ewoks, but R2-D2 appears to become annoyed, possibly even jealous, with his friend getting such attention. The astromech rolls off on his own into the dangerous Endor wilderness.

R2-D2 then encounters a lost young Ewok and becomes the child's caretaker, assuming the unlikely role of babysitter. The two then embark on their own little adventure to find their way back to the Ewok village.

Unlike C-3PO Does Not Like Sand!, which had the talkative C-3PO chattering away through everything, this book contains very few words as neither R2 or the young Ewok have much to say in words we'd understand. The story is told visually by the colourful cartoon artwork of Brian Kesinger.

There's funny stuff, scary stuff and several moments parents and caregivers will find very relatable in this short adventure tale.

Like the previous book, this feels very similar to the 1980's Saturday morning Droids cartoon kind of story and humour. It's unclear if Droid Tales is going to continue only as a book series or maybe it turns into something bigger. Pehaps BB-8 will get his own book next? Perhaps a new animated cartoon series? Let's hope!

(Publisher's Recommendation: Age 5-8 years)

Also available:

Read, You Must: The Galaxy Needs You

"Have you ever stopped to think about how there is nobody else in the galaxy who is exactly like you?"

That sounds like a simple statement, but the words here are both powerful and empowering in the latest Star Wars picture book from Disney-Lucasfilm press.

The Galaxy Needs You is an inspiring message for younglings, and frankly for anyone who could use a little pep talk. 

It's not exactly a "story", but it is incredibly positive and feels like a motivational speech. Full of uplifting sentiments, the narrator speaks directly to the reader with words of encouragement:

"No one else is smart in the way you're smart or is kind in the particular way you're kind, and nobody else is brave the way you're brave."

Written by Caitlin Kennedy (author of C-3PO Does NOT Like Sand!), The Galaxy Needs You could be a perfect gift for anyone taking on a new challenge, or needing a bit of encouragement. It could easily be given as a graduation gift much like Dr. Seuss' Oh the Places You Will Go.

The artwork, by Eda Kaban (Pirates Don't Go to Kindergarten!, Captain Marvel What Makes a Hero, Pink is for Boys), tells Rey's personal journey visually, from her scavenging days to meeting BB-8 and Finn, to facing Kylo Ren, meeting Luke Skywalker and even moments from The Rise of Skywalker.

Kaban's artwork is whimsical and retro, much like the art in recent Star Wars Little Golden Books. The bright, colourful paintings reimagine key moments of Rey's story in a fun and kid-friendly way.

There IS no one in the galaxy like you, and there are no other Star Wars books quite like this one.

The galaxy needs you, and you probably need to read The Galaxy Needs You.

(Publisher's Recommendation: 5- 8 years)

Read, You Must: Star Wars Myths & Fables

Incredible cover art by Grant Griffin

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

That introduction to the first Star Wars movie in 1977 (and each one since) was always meant to sound a lot like the classic fairy tale beginning "Once, upon a time..."

Star Wars always has been more like a fairy tale in space than pure science fiction. A new middle grade book from Disney/Lucasfilm Press takes that idea even further. 

Feels like one of these!

Imagine you're a kid in the Star Wars galaxy - what would your bedtime stories be like? What kind of stories did Luke Skywalker grow up with? Or after the Empire collapsed, what stories do those fathier stable kids in The Last Jedi hear, read and share?

Star Wars: Myths & Fables presents a 172 page collection of short stories of daring adventures and lessons learned. Packaged very much like an old-fashioned edition of children's stories, Myths & Fables presents nine exciting inspirational and cautionary tales in an entertaining and age-appropriate way for young readers.

Unlike most Star Wars books, this is written and presented as "In-Universe", as though it's actually a book of folklore you could buy on Coruscant or Naboo for a child. The stories are set in the Star Wars galaxy we know, but talk about it as though it's far in the past. They feel very much like they've been told many times, passed down to younger generations, and author George Mann has just finally written them down. Details are sketchy and descriptions are exaggerated, but readers will enjoy separating the likely facts from the creative embellishments.

One character, known only as the "Dark Wraith", haunts people with his flashing red arm and horrible rasping breath. We know this is probably about Darth Vader & his red lightsaber, but the teller of the tale doesn't know that name or even what a lightsaber is.

While some of the stories are perfect for "bedtime stories", others may be a little bit scary at times. Such is the nature of fairy tales, and author Mann does not shy away from this. In fact some of the stories like "The Witch & the Wookiee" feel like they come straight out of Grimm's Fairy Tales, just adapted into the Star Wars galaxy. Even the language Mann uses feels quite old-fashioned at times with many vocabulary-building words that may be a good challenge younger readers (or their parents!).

Like many early 20th century books for kids, the illustrations are sparse but beautiful. Each story has one incredible painting by Grant Griffin. Some of them are stunning and every one of them could be a framed poster in any Star Wars fan's room.

The title is a little odd as there really aren't any fables here (stories that typically have animals as the main characters) and a more appropriate title would've been Myths & Legends, or even "Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away" but that title has already been used for a different collection of short stories.

While a few of the stories are connected to each other really they could be read in any order. At least two of the stories take place on Batuu, which connect them to the events and locations of Disney Parks' new Galaxy's Edge Star Wars attractions. Visitors to the parks can come already knowing a bit about Black Spire Outpost and some of the spots within the locale. 

This is a new kind of Star Wars book, and hopefully we'll see more in the future. In fact that may be the only disappointment in this book - it leaves the reader wanting more stories and more of the fantastic paintings. Highly recommended!

(Publisher's Recommendation: Ages 8+)

While not exactly the same thing, readers who enjoy Myths & Fables will probably also like The Legends of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu, and also the aforementioned collection of short stories Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens vol 1 by Landry Q Walker.

C-3PO Does Not Like Sand, But You'll Probably Like This Book!

What happens when C-3PO, R2-D2 and BB-8 get sent on secret mission to Tatooine for the Resistance? A LOT, apparently!

As their mission is simply to "scan the planet", they stroll and roll across the desert encountering nearly everything you can remember from past adventures on Tatooine. Creatures, aliens, racers and more are among the fun surprises on each turn of the 64 pages.

Poor C-3PO grows more and more annoyed at every step with the heat, the two other droids, and especially the sand getting in all of his inner-workings.

Yes, like his creator Anakin Skywalker, C-3PO Does NOT Like Sand!

This simple adventure story seems to be set after the events of The Last Jedi, based on the fact BB-8 is there and R2-D2 is back with them from his adventure with Rey.

Anakin didn't care much for sand either!

Since Disney-Lucasfilm Press began creating Star Wars picture books they have been pretty wildly different from each other. From the beautifully painted BB-8 On The Run, to the adorable Chewie & the Porgs to the dark-yet-very-silly Are You Scared, Darth Vader?, there are now a small variety of stories to choose from for bedtime or anytime reading for very young Star Wars fans.

C-3PO Does Not Like Sand! feels more like a book from the 1970's than 2019 and creates a wonderful nostalgic feeling for adults reading it.

The story by Caitlin Kennedy and illustrations by Brian Kesinger give it a look and feel almost like a Dr. Seuss book, but also has a lot in common with classic Sesame Street Grover books like The Monster at the End of This Book.

Even more though, this book is a delight for fans of the 80's Droids cartoon TV series. It's very much the kind of misadventure seen regularly on that show, with a similar sense of humour.

The spine is the only place that does this but the book is identified there as a "Droid Tales" book. Let's hope there's many more Droid Tales to come, and hopefully with K-2SO or L3-37!
 
For those of us who grew up on Star Wars, C-3PO Does Not Like Sand! is a lot of fun to read with younglings, or just to enjoy ourselves.

(Publisher's Recommendation: 4 - 8 years)

Read, You Must: Chewie and the Porgs

Viewers of The Last Jedi may be particularly curious of how the relationship between a hungry Chewbacca and the adorable bird-like porgs of Ahch-To translates into a kid-friendly picture book.

That’s certainly understandable because in the movie, Chewbacca takes an interest in the porgs, but it’s not to become friends!

Chewie and the Porgs (Disney-Lucasfilm Press) is the second in a new wave of beautifully illustrated picture books based upon the most recent Star Wars films. Following BB-8 On the Run, Chewie and the Porgs shows how they meet, how they help each other and become friends.

Where BB-8 On The Run offers a between-the-scenes look at what happens offscreen during The Force Awakens, Chewie and the Porgs is an alternate look at the first meeting between the wookiee and the small island creatures. 

It is similar but very different to how they become acquainted in The Last Jedi.

Author Kevin Shinick introduces young readers to the mysterious planet and it’s cute little inhabitants while the familiar wookiee searches for food. Luke Skywalker and Rey are barely seen as this is truly Chewie’s story.

Artist Fiona Hsieh captures the cuteness of it all with a colourful retro style similar to the recent Star Wars Golden Books series.

For those who desperately need to know if this story is officially part of the Star Wars timeline, referred to by fans as the canon, the answer is no. This story specifically states that “fishing season is over and all the fish are gone”, where in The Last Jedi, Luke clearly has caught a big fish while Rey and Chewbacca are on the island. That’s just one example.

If you can forget about the events of the movie for a few minutes, it’s very easy for kids and parents to enjoy this touching story about cooperation and friendship.

And it's SOOO cute!

Highly recommended.

(Publisher’s Recommendation Ages 5 – 8 years)