Review Detail

The very first movie I ever saw in a theater in my entire life (and yes, I realize that Ill be dating myself with this) was the original Star Wars movie. The one with Luke, not with Jar-Jar. I fell in love with the movie and it is still on my top 10 list (though I pretty much got over the whole Mark Hamil thing). So it is from a fans perspective that I tell you that, truly, this is the coolest pop-up book ever.

New fans of the franchise that are more familiar with the more recent movies featuring pod racing and the young Anakin may not find the book as awesome as those of us who grew up with the original movies. But they might you dont have to necessarily be a Star Wars fan to figure out this is just a really cool pop-up book. Its stunning in its execution (and dont even get me started on the lightsabers that actually light up on the final page). Its a very interactive pop-up book, with multiple things to see and pull on pretty much every page. And elaborate, too.

This guide covers even some of the minutia of the galaxy, from a full-blown scene of the Mos Eisley cantina to details on the members of the Rebel Alliance. A lot of thought went into the creation of this book and the fact that the author/designer is a fan of the movies is obvious.

One caution I have is that this is really more of a collectors item than something that youd give to a young child. Anyone younger than 10 is likely to not necessarily take the care that should be given to a pop-up book to keep it in working condition (especially, as I mentioned above, given that they might not be as enamored of the older stuff). So it is hard to put a target age to the audience. Yes, it is appropriate for kids 10 and up, but I almost think that adults who grew up with the old movies (the better movies&.sorry, I couldnt resist) will enjoy it even more.

So, let me just say that if you are even remotely a Star Wars fan, this is a must-have book for your collection. Or, if youre an aficionado of pop-up books (Reinhart does some really cool tricks in this one), youre also sure to be a fanatic of this book.