FOTF Kid’s Corner | Review: Are You Scared, Darth Vader?
Share the Force:
Melissa Villy 
Celebrate Halloween with the dark lord of the sith in Are You Scared, Darth Vader?
In the latest picture book from Disney Lucasfilm Press, Adam Rex asks what scares the galaxies biggest bad guy, Darth Vader. Is it the wolfman? Vampires? Ghosts? Witches? Nope. Is it children? While they do aggravate him, they don’t scare him either. You might be surprised by what does though: the book ending and being closed.
While not a traditional story like Chewie and the Porgs or BB-8 on the Run, Are You Scared, Darth Vader? does tell a short story and answers the very important question of what scares the Dark Lord of the Sith. I actually expected nothing to scare him, so I was surprised when something finally did and laughed out loud when it was revealed. Books that know they are books are always fun, and it’s reminiscent of the popular Elephant and Piggy book, We Are In a Book by Mo Willems.
Adam Rex as Both Writer and Illustrator
A writer and illustrator, Adam Rex has written and contributed to many books. His book The True Meaning of Smekday was adapted by Dreamworks into the animated movie Home. He’s even teamed up with fellow Star Wars Children’s book author Drew Daywalt on The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, currently a Sunshine State Young Readers winner in my home state of Florida.
According to his interview on Starwars.com, Rex used a combination of models, photography, drawing, and painting to create the illustrations. Rex built the swamp setting, took pictures of it, and then digitally added drawings. The result is unique and seamless. I couldn’t tell the background wasn’t painted along with the characters.
Geared towards ages 6-8, this book is perfect for a fun Halloween read. Second-grade children who read on grade level should be able to read this on their own, but it will appeal to children of all ages. Cute, funny, and suitable for the whole family Are You Scared, Darth Vader? is the perfect Star Wars themed Halloween read.
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I’m Mina, the Jedi Librarian. I’m a Program Specialist Librarian, lover of all the books, and a lifelong Star Wars fan. I’m also secretly a Jedi.
