Return of the Jedi: The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense

The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense

Author: Joe Johnston

Illustrator: Joe Johnston

Medium: Picture book

Publication Date: April 1984

Timeline Placement: 1 BBY

 

Teebo is not like the other young Ewoks who live in Happy Grove on the Forest Moon of Endor. He can see ghosts and hear voices in the wind, and likes to spend his time his time sitting in the tops of trees, watching strange colors float across the sky. The other Ewok children think he's a fucking weirdo and don't invite him to hang out, but Teebo is too busy daydreaming about being a great hero and living in a perpetual acid trip to mind.

One day, a group of Duloks, genetic relatives of the Ewoks who live in filth and squalor in Endor's swamplands, come to Bright Tree Village to bring news that Teebo's little sister, Malani, has been taken by a horrible giant monster. Chief Chirpa rounds up his strongest warriors to lead the pursuit, leaving the village undefended. The Duloks spring their trap, throwing a toadskin bag over Logray's head so he can't use magic against them (???) and making off with all the children in the village, which they plan to eat.

Teebo, though, isn't among them, as he has stolen a hang-glider and set off to follow the warriors looking for his sister. Because he is so small, however, he is unable to work the glider's simple controls and has been set aimlessly adrift on the breeze. As it gets dark, Teebo notices a dragon-like mantigrue stalking him through the sky. The mantigrue attacks, causing Teebo to plummet through the treetops to the forest floor below. He is then chased by three Yuzzums riding nine-feet-tall spider mounts, but they abandon their chase when Teebo finds himself caught by the Grudakk, yet another giant humanoid species living on Endor, distinct from both the Phlogs from How the Ewoks Saved the Trees and the Gorax from The Ewok Adventure. What a nightmare it must be living here.

Sasageyo! Sasageyo! Shinzou wo sasageyo!

 

Teebo thinks the Grudakk is going to eat him, but instead it feeds him stew and makes up a little bed for him, then turns in for the night. Teebo resolves to stay up until morning and escape at first light, then immediately falls asleep because he's a small child.

Meanwhile, Chief Chirpa and his men arrive at the cave that the Duloks claimed was the monster's lair, but the only one they find living there is King Ulgo, the former ruler of the Duloks who was deposed by their new king, Vulgarr. The Ewoks realize that Vulgarr has tricked them, but when they attempt to free the sacred lantern birds that Ulgo has locked in a cage for his breakfast, Ulgo resists and is accidentally knocked from the cliff and killed when he violently smashes into a large rock in the river far below. This book for five-year-olds is awesome!

Back at the Grudakk's home, Teebo makes a run for it while his host is out running errands and happens to stumble upon the Duloks on their return trip from Happy Grove. With them, a cage containing all the Ewok children, including Teebo's sister, the supposedly monster-snatched Malani! I assume Wicket and Kneesaa must be there too but the book never mentions them.

 

King Vulgarr decides to eat Malani for breakfast, but Teebo stops him by hitting him with a rock. Just then, Chief Chirpa arrives with the cavalary and a fierce battle commences. Though the Ewoks are outnumbered, they fight bravely, killing many Duloks and driving others to break ranks and flee. With the Duloks distracted, Teebo manages to free the other children, but is caught himself by King Vulgarr. Vulgarr holds Teebo at knifepoint as he and the remnants of his entourage retreat into the trees, only to return screaming moments later as the Grudakk emerges from the forest.

As if by magic, Logray suddenly appears out of nowhere and reveals that the Grudakk is the guardian of the Father Tree, the tallest tree on all of Endor. Vulgarr has been rendered catatonic and frozen into a contorted shape. Logray orders the Ewoks to plant him ankle-deep in the soil so he grows into a tree that might provide shelter to some forest animals, the only good thing Vulgarr will have ever done in his life.

The Ewoks return home. Later, Logray finds Teebo sitting in his usual tree perch, watching all the colors of the wind. Feeling that he is reaching the end of his life and needs an apprentice to pass all his knowledge on to, Logray confides in Teebo that he can see the colors too, and says that he has much to teach him.

We have several more Ewoks books to cover, but given their page counts and titles (The Baby Ewoks' Picnic Surprise), I don't anticipate them living up to the unexpected level of quality found in these past two books. The Adventures of Teebo in particular is a revelation. It almost doesn't feel right to qualify it in the same media category as Gungan Trouble! or Star Wars Adventures in Colors and Shapes. Technically it is an illustrated children's book, but technically so is The Hobbit. 

 

Not that those two are of a kind either, but The Adventures of Teebo is about 30 full pages of nothing but text. The black-and-white illustrations are few and far between, and the tone of the story is noticeably darker than one might reasonably expect of a Star Wars picture book. This book definitely trends closer to something like The NeverEnding Story or Return to Oz than Young Jedi Adventures. 

Also notable is that this was both written and illustrated by Joe Johnston, the director of The Rocketeer and Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as other great adventure films from the 1990s and 2000s. A real Renaissance man! 

 

One of my all-time favorite directors! (image unrelated)

 

The cover art was done by Jan Brett, author and illustrator of countless classic children's books, including The Mitten. The Adventures of Teebo isn't just a great and unique Star Wars story, it's also worth checking out for its creative pedigree alone.