STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS: DK READERS- BEGINNING TO READ ALONE BOOK SERIES

BOOK 1: WATCH OUT FOR JABBA THE HUTT!

BOOK 2: ANAKIN IN ACTION

Written by Simon Beecroft

Published by DORLING KINDERSLEY

Reviewed by Scott Weller

As with previous books in their continuing series for young readers, these are really lovely books for children to enjoy as they begin their first stages in reading alone. Book One, though from the cover tag-line you would actually think the whole book concerns the slimy Jabba the Hutt and his family from the movie, but it actually goes into greater territory and what makes this book stand out is how much other material is presented on THE CLONE WARS TV series, with lots of episodic photos amongst the character introduction pages. The book also has cut scene from THE CLONE WARS movie, including the Rancor scene that was originally in the TV version of the Battle of Teth.

The second book in this series, ANAKIN IN ACTION, is equally good in different ways, mainly focusing on Anakin Skywalker and his new Padawan Learner character Ahsoka in their rescue of Rotta the Hutt from the Separatist forces on Teth-surely, one of the most exciting sequences ever committed to a STAR WARS film-live action or not. This version of the book is also based on the TV version of the adventure, before it became an extended part of the first animated movie, and has sequences that aren’t in the film.

Only one gaffe. Unlike the previous DK books, this repeatedly spells Lightsaber incorrectly, as the English standard Lightsabre. I’m surprised this error got through LUCASFILM LICENSING.

AFICIONADO RATING: Two worthy books for a STAR WARS fans collection. Young fans will enjoy developing their reading skills and following the exciting story, whilst older fans will enjoy the lovely design, colour and photography within its pages. 8 out of 10.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS - FUNFAX (FILOFAX)

PUBLISHED BY DORLING KINDERSLEY

Reviewed by Scott Weller

Just like its previous EPISODE III edition, this is a lovely little entry to the Filofax world for youngsters, with very colourful, nicely designed pages, including all manner of fun things for kids to involve themselves with. They can find out more about the characters, use their daily diary, peel off the stickers, and do the interiors numerous puzzles. A great little piece of STAR WARS fun to take on holiday and enjoy whilst traveling.

A really nice cover image of Threepio and Artoo, too!!

AFICIONADO RATING: Nicely printed and bound, with a host of lively material inside. Another lovely item from DORLING KINDERSLEY. 8 OUT OF 10.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS - FRONT ROW SEAT

PUBLISHED BY LADYBIRD BOOKS

Reviewed by Scott Weller

Now, this item really takes me back to my youth. I used to buy all of the photonovel books as a child as during the seventies. With no video recorders or DVDs these books were the perfect way to recreate my love for TV series such as STAR TREK and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. My old copies may be yellow and fading now but I still have them on my book shelf, and like to reminisce in them occasionally. Now, finally, we have a photo novel book on a newly released STAR WARS film rather than an old one, and you couldn’t get a better more colourful tone than THE CLONE WARS movie, in particular a condensed version of the last half of the film relating to the Jedi’s rescue of Rotta the Hutt in the Monastry of Teth and then it’s delivery, via numerous Sith obstacles, of course, to Tatooine. This is a really lovely item, beautifully printed and designed-the reproduction of the animated cell images really inspired-and look out for the cut scene pages (16 and 17) in the book where Anakin, Ahsoka and Artoo encounter Asajj Ventress. It’s a photo comic book that I really enjoyed. I hope that here are more of these on future episodes of THE CLONE WARS TV series.

AFICIONADO RATING: A great way to re-introduce the photo novel format for masses of youngsters who’ve probably never heard about the format or experienced them before. A retro-tastic 9 out of 10.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS - PREPARE FOR BATTLE! ACTIVITY BOOK

PUBLISHED BY LADYBIRD BOOKS

Reviewed by Scott Weller

Though the kind of puzzles, quizzes and games within its page follow the same basic templates, this is a far more intelligent and sophisticated activity book for ages between 8 and 10 years old, and a much better designed product for kids now than we in the Seventies ever had when we were little. This also happens to be flowing with lovely character shots and stills from the CLONE WARS movie, with full page posters, and lovely key art/pop art style compositions. It’s a nicely designed, activity book, again full of colour and very appealing to look at, even as an adult. Additionally, the book has information regarding a future episode of the TV series.

They spell Lightsaber correctly, too, in this edition, which is a relief.

AFICIONADO RATING: Another nice product that will keep youngsters happy when they’re on the go, or even if they just want to dip in and enjoy STAR WARS when they can. 8 out of 10.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS -THE OFFICIAL MOVIE STORYBOOK

PUBLISHED BY LADYBIRD BOOKS

Reviewed by Scott Weller

Though the modern storybooks relating to blockbuster films are a lot more simplified compared to their versions of yesteryear, this new one relating to the first of THE CLONE WARS animated adventures, is a cut above the way they are being done today, and does a very good job of bringing the adventures of the Jedi to life within it’s pages. Once past the well written introductory section, telling us about the history of the saga up to the necessary point in the Prequels, alongside some good character studies, too (with some terrific and very colourful character stills), we go straight in to the story, which faithfully locks down it’s important moments and presents some some further great stills/ art from the movie alongside the nicely framed text. There are no cuts scenes in this book that I could see as this was presumably done nearer towards the time when the film was in its final lockdown print. The use of the photos, as previously mentioned, is great-with some very large reproductions which show how dedicated and respectful the Producers of this series are with re-creating the live action STAR WARS universe in this fresh and exciting new animation medium.

AFICIONADO RATING: A beautifully presented, quality printed item, and an important addition to the history of the STAR WARS STORYBOOK range. 9 out of 10.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS - ULTIMATE STICKER BOOK

WRITTEN AND EDITED BY HEATHER SCOTT, DESIGNED BY JILL CLARK

PUBLISHED BY DORLING KINDERSLEY

Reviewed by Scott Weller

At school, there was nothing better for me that sticking my English and History books with stickers. Though everybody else was applying images of football heroes onto theirs, mine and my older brothers were either MARVEL SUPER HEROES or STAR WARS. Its nice to see the new CLONE WARS STICKER BOOK out with some terrific images and key art of the series heroes and villains that can be peeled off and, here’s what I like, be re-used again and again. Yes, I know they are supposed to be used inside the book and applied to the nicely written character text pieces and outlines, but I’m sure kids will get a greater deal of fun plastering the eighty stickers (I really like the Palaptine, Padme, Dooku, Mace Windu and Jar Jar ones the most!!) from within its pages all over their parents house, instead -I can envisage fridges, bedroom, sister’s room, and walls- to probably their parents cars- plastered with ‘em!!! Nowhere is safe!! Well, that’s what happened in my day anyway!! In my book, anywhere that has STAR WARS stickers on them, can’t be all bad!!!

Only one thing: no big deal, but again lightsaber is still spelt wrong. Another LUCASFILM LICENSING spell check gaffe?

AFICIONADO RATING: Another lovely product for small (and big) kids alike. 8 out of 10.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS - PRESS OUT ‘N’ BUILD

PUBLISHED BY LADYBIRD BOOKS

Reviewed by Scott Weller

We had something similar to this STAR WARS wise in the seventies and eighties, but not as sophisticated, and this lovely box/book comes with three card pieces which you can clip together and build into three familiar STAR WARS: CLONE WARS models-Artoo Detoo, a Clone Trooper helmet and, my favourite, a super AT-TE Walker, which have well been very well formulated into these new figure caricatures. The box comes with, as usual, a lovely, full colour, easy to follow instruction manual, and knowing kids around the ages of 8-12 will have a great time forcing their simple adults into trying to figure out how to put it all together!!

AFICIONADO RATING: I’m all fingers and thumbs myself, but I know that this will make a terrific Xmas present for families to put together and work on in between eating Turkey sandwiches. 8 out of 10.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS

THE YOUNG READERS ADAPTATION OF THE FILM

Written by Tracey West

PUBLISHED BY PUFFIN BOOKS

Reviewed by Scott Weller

From the opening battle within the crystalline streets and cities of Christophsis, to the finale lightsaber duels between Sith and Jedi on the dangerous barren desert world of Tatooine, the STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS YOUNG READERS EDITION adaptation of the first animated film, penned by Tracey West, zings along at a brisk old rate that perfectly captures both the film and its target readership of ages 8-11. Yep, characterization is limited on our favourite heroes and villains of the Saga (though Ahsoka gets the best of what treatment there is, being the new youngster with whom the books readers will hopefully relate to), but the well described action and lean to the bone transfer of the films screenplay (which omits anything that doesn’t keep it’s readership full on to the story of Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahoska) keeps you turning the page (missing sequences cut for pace reasons include the Bounty Hunters heads being delivered to Jabba’s Court, the recon commandoes on Teth, the cute scene with Ahsoka telling Rex and the Clone Troopers about how she saved Anakin in Christophsis, and Ventress choking/manipulating Captain Rex). To maintain said pace in the books second half, several sequences that were spread out in the finished film are also condensed into one period of time (I.E. the majority of Padme’s scenes, sadly showing, even more so, just how brief her character’s contribution actually proves to be to the story).

The book compensates for any missing on screen losses, however, with some intriguing scripted and filmed scenes that would actually be omitted from the final animated movie, like Ahsoka and Anakin, with help from Artoo, facing off against Ventress, whilst taking on a rampaging Rancor at the same time. Also on Teth, a moment where the Jedi pairing go head to head against a walking Vulture Droid (which Ahsoka finally brings down). Finally, though proving an un-necessary sequence which deserved to be cut when read, where, to lose weight to achieve an escape orbit from pursuing Vulture Droid fighters, Ahsoka is almost blown out of the Twilight’s cargo bay when she opens the bay doors to loose out its stored containers.

With the adaptation presumably being written whilst the film was still in post-production, there are also a few little differences in the way certain characters are described and what ships are used in combat-Rex doesn’t have the blond/white hair he sports in the film, Threepio is bronze rather than gold, and a Neimoidian spherical cruiser attacks the Republic cruiser in the Teth atmosphere rather than one of the Separatist EPISODE III cruisers that would be led by General Grievous.

Adding to the reading experience the chapter’s introductions are nicely designed with a modern feel, and there is an excellent 16 page colour photo section of high quality stills from the movie including two cut scene images (the aforementioned Anakin and Ahsoka versus Ventress and an excellent shot of the menacing General Grievous).

The book isn’t going to win any awards for literature any time soon, but it is a great read for the kids, and a pleasantly diverting enough one for adults, too, who may want to enjoy some light, but highly exciting action adventure STAR WARS fun for a couple of hours whilst in the garden, before heading on in to the much darker, psychological and violent world of Karen Traviss’s adult adaptation for the film. As a starter to that main course, the junior novelisation works a treat….

AFICIONADO RATING: A fun and lively adventure (but what on earth is a Retail Droid?), with a nice, colourful photos section. The junior version of film adaptations these days may be different animals to the ones that STAR WARS fans from the seventies may have consumed, but it is nonetheless a solid read for the younglings. 8 out of 10.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS-INTERGALACTIC ADVENTURES BOOK

Published by LADYBIRD BOOKS

Reviewed by Scott Weller

From Yoda’s code breakers, to Anakin and Obi-Wan’s perilous maze escapes, and engaging Clone Trooper mental agility tests, LADYBIRD BOOKS consistently high quality STAR WARS products for the youngsters (or should that be Padawans?), as well as the youngsters in all of us oldsters, continues with this colourful and fun STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS - INTERGALACTIC ADVENTURES book.

Everything you could want to keep a four to nine year old happy for hours outside of school is in here, with all kinds of fun things for it’s readers to become involved in, as well as additional crosswords, games and quizzes- all with the colourful and exciting STAR WARS universe of characters, spaceships and environments well used within it’s pages, and mixed in with hints and images of some of the plots for the new animated episodes-mostly from the first six stories.The full page posters of the series main characters are also an excellent, and very welcome, addition to an all round quality product.

Of all the sections, however, I loved the dot to dot Yoda-it brought back great memories of my original STAR WARS Chewbacca puzzle book of 1979 which is now covered in enthusiastic thick blue and black markings from page to page and written scrawl that even Indiana Jones would have a hard time translating!! One thing I was never able to do, though, was that activity area where you try to recreate an art image in sections-mine never did and never will look like the image I’ve tried to copy -it just gets totally lost in my artistic interpretation-the dynamic Clone Trooper pic in this book is no exception!! The Crazy Cloning page main image is also quite fun-seeing Threepio’s head on the fighting stance of General Grievous certainly raised a smile!!

AFICIONADO RATING: A well above the norm, quality colour puzzle book for young children. And, unlike the US version of this book (which only has two pages of stickers with it-note the cover scan opposite), the UK edition comes with a snazzy lightsaber pencil, instead-why couldn’t anyone have come up with something like that when I was at school!! 8 out of 10