Suvudu Universe

Star Wars Rebels: Sabine My Rebel Sketchbook

Written by Dan Wallace and illustrated by Annie Stoll

Age Range: 6 to 10 years

Grade Level: 1 to 5

Paperback: 96 pages

Publisher: Studio Fun International (February 3, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-0794432898

Book Description: She’s funny, creative and impulsive; an artist with spray paint and advanced weapons. She’s also a 16-year-old girl who happens to be flying around the universe, wreaking havoc on the Imperial army. Now you can read the private diary of Sabine Wren, the awesome new heroine of the Star Wars Rebels television series! Read more.

What to Expect: Fun sketches and doodles, simple and complex sentences, humor, fold outs, blank section for drawing

Source: Review copy

“Sure, I’m the saboteur for this happy band of rebels. But in my heart I’m an ARTIST!” That’s what Sabine Wren wrote in the latest children’s book by Studio Fun, Sabine My Rebel Sketchbook. Written by Dan Wallace and illustrated by Annie Stoll, this rebel sketchbook is a companion book to the popular Disney XD animated television series, Star Wars Rebels. Sabine Wren is a 16-year-old girl with an affinity for weapons and art. As a crew member of the starship Ghost, she is the resident expert in all things that go boom, making her a vital player in the struggle against the Empire. Like any other teenager, though, she also finds ways to express herself through her art. In a day and age where art is important in a child’s development, Sabine My Rebel Sketchbook encourages children (and adults) to explore and use their imagination.

As a fan of color, art, and Star Wars, I was immediately attracted to the concept of this book. From every single word right down to the last doodle, each page was captivating, introducing new ideas (Sabine’s respirators when working around paint fumes) and bringing back old ones (a few Bothans pop up here and there). This book also contains fun gems for Star Wars fans looking into canon terms and events, my absolute favorite being Mando’a. Fans of Mandalorian culture will be happy to know that Sabine speaks and writes Mando’a. As for the rest of the content it covers, the book is not a rehash of the first ten episodes. You get to relive major events that have happened, but the book does a great job at adding her insights and opinions as well as a decent amount of new content.

From the energetic point of view of the character to the warm and bright colors that enchant the reader, the book is an absolute delight. The combined efforts of Dan Wallace’s writing and Annie Stoll’s illustrations make for a refreshing and satisfying result, especially in a market where Sabine and her mentor, Hera Syndulla, are often neglected from merchandise. If this book doesn’t want to make you sketch, spray paint, or pick up a set of brilliant watercolors, then I don’t know what will. Sabine, first and foremost, thinks and communicates with images, so Annie Stoll beautifully captured her style and voice. And the great thing about the book is that you can speak through your own sketches as well. Take advantage of the blank pages towards the end and add some of your own doodles and art to complete the experience!

Sabine My Rebel Sketchbook is currently available at major bookstores and online at Amazon.

Make sure to also pick up a copy of Star Wars Rebels: Rebel Journal by Ezra Bridger, also written by Dan Wallace and illustrated by Andrew Barthelmes. Read our review of the Rebel Journal here as well as our interview with Andrew Barthelmes.