Archive | October 8, 2015

Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight

Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight

Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight

Tony DiTerlizzi

Ralph McQuarrie

Egmont UK, 2015

64pp., hbk., RRP $A29.95

9781405275835

This is the story of Luke Skywalker’s journey from farm boy on Tatooine to Jedi Knight told in the words of award-winning author Tony DiTerlizzi and matched with the remarkable paintings of Ralph McQuarrie, the concept artist behind the series that has captivated generations since its first release in May, 1977.

There are those so much more able than I to review this new book from this iconic series, many of whom are in or near their 40s and are still devoted fans of the series that was an integral part of their childhood lives and remains a cultural phenomenon still sought after by the young students I teach today.  So I will just use the words of the foreword by the author…

“It may be difficult to imagine, but there was a time when Star Wars was not a part of our popular culture.  Long before the toys, books and lunch boxes, and even before the first feature film flickered on a movie screen, Star Wars existed in the imagination of only one man: George Lucas. Working from Lucas’s various screenplay drafts and through a creative collaboration with the writer-director, visionary artist Ralph McQuarrie realised a universe filled with unlikely heroes, sinister villains and otherworldly vistas.

Rendered in his muted palette and streamlined style, McQuarrie’s gouache concept paintings depict what are now some of the most iconic moments in the original Star Wars trilogy… Though Star Wars is a major film franchise, its genesis was told with words and pictures, so it is with great pride that I return this epic battle of good versus evil to its original form.”

I could get myself massive brownie points with certain family and friends if I were to pass this book on to them, but given the voracity for this series amongst my young clients, I know it will be a surefire hit on the library’s shelves instead.

Dino Daddy

Dino-Daddy

Dino-Daddy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dino-Daddy

Mark Sperring

Sam Lloyd

Bloomsbury, 2015

32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781408849705

 

If you’re looking for a rollicking good read that is lots of fun and has wonderful illustrations, then Dino-Daddy should be high on the list.  The third in a series which includes Dino-Mummy and Dino-Baby, Dino-Daddy is the perfect daddy making mischief and making fun. As well as the energetic pictures, the rhyming structure of the texts moves this along at a fast clip that will make everyone wish for a dino-daddy.  Perfect for very young readers and those with a fascination for dinosaurs it should be a surefire hit and a great read as part of Father’s Day celebrations.