Parenting in a galaxy far, far away

Oh, this book is cute and covers a lot of territory. It's a Star Wars book, it's a parenting book, it's a parody and it's a graphic novel. What if Darth Vader was a "normal" dad and spent his time making scrambled eggs and bacon for a four-year-old Luke Skywalker? Why, Luke would refuse to eat them and Dad Darth would pour him a bowl of C-3POs cereal instead! 

This little book puts a twist on intergalactic parenting (albeit with a kinder, gentler Dark Lord than we are used to) and how it's not much different than everyday parenting on planet Earth today. I've had "Elmo's Song" on repeat in my vehicle for something like eight months now so I found young Luke Skywalker's obsession with an ewok musical album priceless. Blowing bubbles through a straw at the Creature Cantina, tickle fights with the use of The Force and visiting the banthas at the zoo are just a few of the absolutely adorable and hilarious scenes depicted in Darth Vader and Son.

Many of Darth's lines are variations on those from classic Star Wars scenes and most of the major characters make an appearance, with a special jab at Jar Jar Binks. What was up with Jar Jar, anyway? Kudos to Jeffrey Brown for calling out George Lucas on that one. 

Do you have to be a Star Wars lover to enjoy this book? No, not really, but I'm not sure it would be funny if you didn't have a working knowledge of the Star Wars characters, species and locales. I realize as I write this that I sound like an obsessed Star Wars fanatic, but millions of people have seen these movies, so I'm sure this review will speak to a few of you!