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Pop Classics: your favourite movies as children’s books

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Written by Tim Barnes-Clay

See which of the coolest movie classics have been turned into illustrated children’s books.

I have grown up a huge movie buff. Some of my best childhood memories are of Sunday afternoons when I would choose, all by myself, and watch a ‘grown up’ movie. (Relax, by grown up I mean that it wasn’t a cartoon.) Movies like The Breakfast Club, Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller’s Day off, and BIG are just a few classics I fell in love with back then.

Crossing over to a new generation

 

The idea that my daughter can enjoy what I grew up loving is very cool. So my excitement on hearing that some of these movies have been turned into a series of illustrated children’s books, under the banner Pop Classics, is understandably immense.  A big thank you goes out to Canadian-based illustrator Kim Smith. She is the one who decided to turn some of the movie world’s biggest blockbusters into these picture books. So far the series includes Home Alone, The X-Files, E.T. and my favourite, Back to the Future.

These books are great for your children, as well as super fun gifts. They are colourful, lively and by staying true to the essence of the content, very entertaining. Simple words paired with a kid-friendly storybook format is the perfect read for bedtime. The classic picture book style makes this a fun way for parents to share their pop culture favourites with a new generation – which is the overarching idea behind Kim’s creations.

She said, “I was so excited to be able to contribute to something that was so cherished from my childhood. I spent a lot of time watching parts of the movie over and over again so I could make sure the illustrations reflected the style and the energy that was in the film. I thought if I didn’t get the spirit of the films/series right in the art, fans wouldn’t be able to connect with these stories in a children’s book format.”

Kim’s books have opened the door for a new generation. They can enjoy these iconic movies, while sharing their parents nostalgia. There are many more movies I would love to see illustrated. Which ones would you suggest?

You can order the Pop Classic books here.