Thank you to DK Publishing for asking me to review this book. It it the third book we have received in the last year. I apologize for not posting the other two yet. Our 1 and a half year old son was very sick the first year of his life and we had a death in the family a year ago.  I’m hopeful things will get easier and we will blog regularly again.

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LEGO Star Wars: Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy

Author: Vesa Lehtimaki
Release Date: November 10, 2015

Product Details
Age Range: 9 – 12 years
Series: Lego Star Wars
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: DK Publishing
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1465440097
ISBN-13: 978-1465440099
List Price $24.99

Contents
Introduction
Tatooine
Hoth
Endor
Behnd the Scenes
Appendix

From the back of the book:

It started with a boy and his Lego Star Wars toys. And a dad who began to photograph them for fun. The images he created were magical, mysterious, funny and unique, exploring the what-ifs of the Star Wars universe. What if snow troopers were inspired to make ice sculptures on Hoth? What if Ewoks jammed with the Cantina Band?

Inspired by the Hoth-like landscapes of his native Finland, Vesa Lehtimaki’s stunning realistic photographs became an online phenomenon and inspired the creators of THE LEGO MOVIE.

Including exclusive new images, as well as Vesa’s own commentary and behind the scenes insights, Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy will delight and enthrall fans of all ages.

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Tiny S is 6 years old now.  She loved the book.

Although this is Lehtimaki’s first book, I am very familiar with his work. He is known as Avanaut online and has been photographing Lego (and other things) and posting them online since 2009.

Lehtimaki stayed within the original Star Wars Trilogy but created his own scenes outside of the movie’s events. Every scene has a caption and some details from Lehtimaki on the shot. I loved this book. It’s exactly what my husband and I enjoy doing.

My favorite chapter of the book was the chapter on Hoth. The snow scenes capture the action. I’ve photographed scenes in real snow but I haven’t done it much.  I’ve been inspired to try snow scenes without the use of real snow.

The last chapter is Behind the Scenes. It was eye opening seeing how much work goes into each shot.  Throughout the book, he would share how he would capture motion and set up the lighting but he goes into further detail in this chapter. He is a genius with the baking powder “snow” and salt “ice.”  I’ve learned quite a lot and hope to try out some of his techniques.

I recommend this book to both kids and adults who love Star Wars. It’s funny and beautiful. It would make a coffee table complete and it would be educational for anyone who likes to photograph Lego.

-Grace

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