DK recently sent me a copy of The Yoda Chronicles by Daniel Lipkowitz to review. So once I received it back from my kids (minus the free minifigure of course) I took a closer look at this large hardcover.
I must admit I had found The Yoda Chronicles a little hard to pin down. I have never really been sure exactly what it was.
To be honest I’m still not sure.
Is it a TV series, a web series, a game, an app, a ploy to sell more LEGO sets or all of the above?
It turns out that there has been a TV series in the US, featured on The Cartoon Network. The story played out over three animated specials which spawned the resulting books, games, apps and LEGO sets. I have no idea whether the series has shown on Australian TV. I’m a bit of a Luddite when it comes to broadcast TV (However, it isn’t on itunes, I know that much).
A press release tells us more:
LEGO Star Wars returns in epic style with THE YODA CHRONICLES, a thrilling, funny and action-packed new LEGO Star Wars story told in three animated TV specials! Set in the “Prequel” Star Wars timeline, THE YODA CHRONICLES stars the one and only Yoda—the Jedi Master who has seen it all, done it all, and taught generations of Jedi Knights—in an all-new adventure. With the help of a fresh class of Padawans, Yoda leads the Jedi in a desperate fight to stop Darth Sidious and his minions from creating a new super-weapon that could crush theRepublic and win the war for the forces of Evil.
So what about the book?
The Yoda Chronicles Book
The Yoda Chronicles Book tells us more about the story, the character of Yoda and other characters that feature in the series, some new, some old favourites. While a thick book, it includes a minifigure (an exclusive Clone Special Forces Commander), so a large proportion of the thickness is an empty space to protect the integrity of the figure and the book’s spine (this will make more sense if you have other DK books which have come with free minifigures).
All up it is 63 pages long and I have to say it won’t get alot of re-reading in my house but that is mainly because my kids are probably a little too old for the intended audience.
Younger fans will no doubt be impressed and pour through the colourful pages with glee, but for the more discerning older fan, the book will appear to be an expensive catalogue for the latest LEGO sets rather than a useful resource book. Additionally, because of the rather elusive nature of The Yoda Chronicles series if, like me, you are unfamiliar with the story then it might not be worth the purchase unless you simply have to have everything related to LEGO Star Wars.
Each page has a different focus (e.g. Where Does Yoda Come From, Pirates And Bounty Hunters, Jabba The Hutt, Yoda’s Galaxy, etc) and every other page features a Star Wars LEGO set prominently.
The facts are interesting and the figure is a powerful incentive for collectors but overall the book lacks something to make it universally appealing, and is best left for younger fans of LEGO Star Wars who are perhaps just starting on their journey into reading and the love of books.
The Yoda Chronicles Book
Includes an exclusive minifigure!
Relive Yoda’s adventures in the LEGO® Star Wars® galaxy with this all new format from DK.
The first in a brand-new series, LEGO Star Wars: Yoda Chronicles features themed spreads based on the legendary Yoda’s adventures, from his leadership of the Jedi council and his duels with Count Dooku and Darth Sidious, to his support of the Wookiees in the Clone Wars and his training of Luke on Dagobah. Specially commissioned photography shows minifigures and vehicles in action, with tons of storylines and facts that kids will love.
The Yoda Chronicles Book Image Gallery
In regards to the animated series, luckily someone has uploaded the cartoon to Youtube but the quality is poor so when it arrives on DVD I would recommend purchasing a copy.
