World of Reading: This is Luke by Nate Millici

World of Reading: This is Luke, written by Nate Millici, art by TomatoFarm

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If you're looking for a book that will introduce your child to Star Wars and yet leave them open for the Original Trilogy's big reveal, this is absolutely the book for you! At first, I was a bit frustrated that Darth Vader being Luke's father wasn't included at all in the story, but then I realized this could be a book for a very particular situation. It's a "Level 1" reader which means, "Beginner Reader: Kindergarten-Grade 1, simple text, word repetition" so it's a perfect read for a child that's still too young for the movies...and it gives nothing away!! I mean, it doesn't even make the fact the Rebels won in the end explicitly clear--there's no death of Palpatine and no death of Vader. So it really is left up to the imagination.

The art is inspired by the "Galaxy of Adventures" shorts and so is cute and engaging, especially for the little ones.

The story is the Original Trilogy only as it focuses on Luke's coming of age. My favorite line is probably, "Luke is bored." referencing his life on a "sandy planet." That's such a blunt, yet effective way to express how he felt at that point in his life. And no, Tatooine is not mentioned by name, this book breaks everything down to be VERY simple. But it does name X-wings, the Death Star, AT-ATs, and Ewoks...so I guess the specifics work when the words are shorter and easier to pronounce. The glossary at the back of the book includes definitions for AT-AT Walker, Death Star, Droid, Jedi Knight, Lightsaber, Pilot, The Empire, The Force, and X-wing Fighter.

Probably the strangest thing about this book though is the exclusion of Han except for in one illustration on Endor and one sticker. Leia is named and illustrated multiple times in contrast (and Chewie even gets one mention). Even when Jabba the Hutt is mentioned, there's no indication of why he's a villain or why Luke is fighting him...same goes for Boba Fett. Although these choices may seem strange, I'm going to go with the thinking I sighted at the beginning of this review...a lot is left up to the imagination, allowing for a true untainted experience when watching the Original Trilogy for the first time. Most books reveal everything with the assumption that everybody already knows everything there is to know. But this beginning reader provides the opportunity to get just a taste of Star Wars without being overwhelmed by the details or becoming privy to the secrets, and it allows the eventual viewer of the movies to fall in love with Han Solo through the more dynamic avenue the movies provide.

So I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who has a kindergarten-1st grader ready to pick up a book, but not yet ready for the intensity of the Star Wars films. Let them read this and then be surprised by all the extra content when they come of age. Plus, there are 2 pages of stickers!!!!...always a huge win in my book. The stickers are the same illustration style as the book itself making for a cohesive flow from story to sticker and allowing for the tale to be recalled all the better--and I can imagine any Star Wars fan parent would want their kid to be able to recount the adventures of Luke. 

Oh, and how does the story end?? Well, "Luke is not bored anymore. He is a brave hero. Luke is a great Jedi Knight!" Haha! I love how the author circles back around and makes the tale come full circle with Luke's boredom. It's definitely a simplistic way to view the OT, but it honestly works, especially if you're trying to make things easier for younger children to understand.