I get a lot of books at work. A lot of books. Some are great, some are weird, and some I carry around so I can show them to everyone.
And then there are the ones I have to lock in a drawer so nobody steals them. That's what happened with Darth Vader: A 3-D Reconstruction Log, which I have already protected from being absconded with by at least three people. (Imagine me shaking my finger.)
DV: A3DRL, as we will call it, is a board book with a Vader-shaped cutout that goes all the way through the book. And then each page includes another part of his body/suit/armor/systems, such that when the book is closed, you can see all of him together in the little plastic window. Scholastic, which publishes the book and published a previous one about the Millennium Falcon, has a little video to show you how the book works.
What will you learn? He has data slots that take RepMed data wafers in lx44a and lx44ax sizes! (Those data wafers, by the way, sound delicious.) His gloves are made of fabric that contains "micronized iron"! He has armor strips on his legs to keep him from buckling under the weight of all the stuff on his suit! A small "Med Note" says, "It is recommended that the lungs be considered for later removal."
And finally, the quote I intend to use as often as possible: "The helmet will shield patient's braincase effectively." I completely, absolutely intend to answer the next foolish question anyone asks me with, "What is going on in your braincase?"
If you have a Darth Vader fan on your list, I will say, the book is pretty entertaining. And if you come to D.C. and you're walking by my desk, don't take it.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
