Use the Force (and your hands!)
to Make Fun Star Wars
Origami
Do you know someone who is fascinated by, interested in or hooked on Star Wars? Then Star Wars Origami: 36 Amazing Paper-folding Projects from a Galaxy Far, Far Away… is the perfect book for them.
My son is only four, but he is completely enamored with Star Wars these days, regardless of the fact that he has yet to see any of the Star War movies! I knew since this book is designed for ages 9 and up that I would be the one doing the folding. But what I didn’t predict is how interested in the book my son would be, even without being able to do the projects independently.
In addition to the projects and instructions, the book has great pictures from the movies, little Star War trivia games and a brief summary about each person or thing that you can create with origami. (I found these summaries very helpful because I have yet to see all six movies myself! Shh! Don’t tell my son!)
The Star Wars Origami book is divided into three sections. First an origami “how to” section that teaches some of the basic folding techniques. You may be tempted to skip over this part. Don’t. The projects are complicated and even an adult needs to read the origami basics before attempting the Star Wars projects.
The second section consists of detailed instructions (with diagrams) for 36 Star Wars origami figurines and models: from lightsabers to Yoda to a replica of the Death Star, this book has it all.
The last section is the special paper that makes each project turn out just right. The paper is printed with the colors and designs to make Yoda’s face and Anakin’s podracer’s energy binder and all the other cool details each piece needs. Most of the projects include two copies of this special paper, just in case you mess up or want to make two. And the paper is perforated so tearing it out of the book is quick and easy.
The projects are divided into 4 categories of difficulty from youngling toJedi Master. These ratings were a little misleading in my opinion because the projects in this book are HARD! I would recommend starting with the lightsabers. There’s paper for quite a few and they give you good practice following the book’s instructions. And after assembly you can have a mini lightsaber battle.
I have attempted and roughly assembled a few of the projects and have come to the conclusion that only someone who is highly motivated (ie: very into Star Wars) can correctly figure out each origami figure! Lucky for me my son is generous with his praise and was satisfied with my best efforts even though they don’t quite look like the finished products in the book.
We shared the book with my niece and nephew (ages 7 and 9) who first introduced us to Origami Yoda and they both were eager to try making Yoda with the special paper included with the book. More than labeling this book appropriate for a specific age, I would say that it’s a hit with all Star Wars fans; regardless of age (although younger ones will need more adult help). And for those who have read the Origami Yoda books, Tom Angleberger (the author of Origami Yoda) wrote the foreword for Star Wars Origami, a fun side note that added one more star to our impression of Star Wars Origami!
Star Wars Origami: 36 Amazing Paper-folding Projects from a Galaxy Far, Far Away….
By Chris Alexander
Price: $16.95
Pages: 272
www.starwarsorigami.com
| Easy to read | 4 |
| Quality of illustrations | 5 |
| Appealed to both boys and girls | 4 |
| Kept my child’s interest | 5 |
| I would purchase this for my family | yes |
| I would purchase this as a gift | yes |
| Overall rating | 5 (for all Star Wars fans!) |
All ratings on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being highest.
Meet the Reviewer!
Janice Richardson is an elementary
school teacher turned stay-at-home
mom of three energetic little ones,
ages 4, 2 and 5 months. She enjoys
playing with her family, being outdoors,
and eating chocolate. Janice blogs
about some of the activities she and her
children enjoy at babybrainstorm.blogspot.com.
One of her goals is to someday visit
each of the 50 states and each continent.
