I received this book in the mail today, and I had only read a few pages when I knew I had to review it. “This book,” I said to myself, “needs to be shared with everyone I know!” I got the book through a Nerd Block, one of those monthly subscription boxes that sends you miscellaneous items through the mail, with things you may or may not actually want. This was one of the known items, so it was the main reason I shelled out the cash this month. (In case you were wondering, the shirt that came with it is amazingly awesome!)
I was not disappointed! This is a parody of a children’s book in the style of Fun with Dick and Jane. Well, Dick and Jane can keep their fun, because Kirk and Spock are where it’s at! Robb Pearlman pays homage to many Original Series episodes, with appearances from the crew as well as tribbles, the Horta, the Gorn, Khan, Trelane, that weird planet obsessed with the ‘20’s, along with other favorites. There are many clichés and jokes for the fans (and really, that’s who the book is for.) The artwork, especially the expressions, is fantastic!
Many lessons can be learned from this book. *Spoilers ahead for the book and for episodes!* We learn that while a Jeffries tube is good for many things, it is not good for hiding a dead Tellarite. We learn (a few times) that it is best not to get attached to redshirts. We learn that Uhura will diffuse situations with grace, and that sometimes Spock is no fun. We learn that Khan is not a morning person, and many more. We learn many lessons indeed!
So, if you’re a Star Trek fan, I highly recommend this! I suppose you could read it to a child, but you may have to answer some tricky questions afterword (“Daddy, what does ‘advances from a woman’ mean? And ‘megalomaniacal’?”) You can still enjoy this book without having seen all of the episodes, but being familiar with them enhances the experience, especially in the last third. And I shall now proceed to push this book on everyone I know who could possibly appreciate it!