Kid Konnection: National Star Wars Day & Giveaway

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, we're going to celebrate National Star Wars Day by taking another look at a very fun book!

Happy May 4th or National Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you -- get it? I thought it was an ideal day to revisit a terrific books that I reviewed last year called STAR WARS ORIGAMI: 36 AMAZING PAPER-FOLDING PROJECTS FROM A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY... by Chris Alexander. My entire family was impressed with this book which features step-by-step instructions for preparing 36 different Star Wars origami projects. You can make a Yoda, a Darth Vader, the Death Star, a Millennium Falcon, or even a Han Solo.

As a special tribute to this "holiday," Workman Publishing and Chris Alexander, author of STAR WARS ORIGAMI have released free downloadable origami lightsabers that Star Wars fans of all ages can make. These special edition models are easy to make -- all you have to do fold and cut , and the downloadable document includes step-by-step illustrated instructions. Kids (and parents!) can choose between the lightsabers of Mace Windu, Obi Wan, Darth Vader, or Luke Skywalker.

Thanks to the fine folks at Workman Publishing, I am able to giveaway one copy of STAR WARS ORIGAMI! To enter, just fill out the form below before Friday, May 10th at 11:59 p.m. ET. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck and May the Force Be With You!

Summary: Kids love origami—and what could be cooler than transforming a piece of paper into Boba Fett, Princess Leia, Yoda, or R2-D2? And not just any paper, but custom-designed paper illustrated with art from the movies. Star Wars® Origami marries the fun of paper folding with the obsession of Star Wars. Like The Joy of Origami and Origami on the Go, this book puts an original spin on an ancient art. And like Star Wars® Scanimation® and Star Wars® Fandex®, it’s a fresh take on Star Wars mania.

Chris Alexander is a master folder and founder of the popular website StarWarsOrigami.com, and here are 36 models, clearly explained, that range in difficulty from Youngling (easy) to Padawan (medium), Jedi Knight (difficult), and Jedi Master (tricky!). A front section introduces origami definitions and basic folds. Bound in the back is the book’s unique folding paper, two sheets for each figure. Illustrated with original art, it makes each creation—the essential lightsabers, the Death Star, and much more—true to the movies.

Star Wars Origami includes a foreword by Tom Angleberger, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back, and is scheduled to be published at the same time as Angleberger’s upcoming book, The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee. -- Workman

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!