The Wookiee Storybook

The Wookiee Storybook is a 40-page children's book written by Eleanor Ehrhardt (uncredited in the book itself) and illustrated by Patricia Wynne, and published in 1979. It was one of three short childrens storybooks released that year, along with The Mystery of the Rebellious Robot and The Maverick Moon. It bears some similarities to the prior year's The Star Wars Holiday Special, both taking place primarily on Kashyyyk, involving Chewbacca returning home for a celebration, and featuring the same members of Chewbacca's family.

The book focuses on a misadventure of Lumpy's, in which he travels to the "Nother World", or the the lower levels of Kashyyyk in order to search for a special type of fruit that his father, Chewbacca, loves.

Synopsis
Lumpawarrump and his mother Mallatobuck are preparing for Chewbacca's 200th birthday. Malla tries to make Wasaka-berry pudding, but she doesn't have enough wasaka berries. Lumpy asks if he can go get the wasaka berries, but they are located in the "Nother World". Malla doesn't want Lumpy to get hurt, so she refuses, making Lumpy upset. Grandpa Itchy decides to cheer Lumpy up by telling him stories of Chewbacca's heroism. Lumpy becomes inspired by Itchy's stories and decides to go get the wasaka berries.

Lumpy begins to climb down into the Nother World but slips on the ladder and plummets all the way into the Nother World and lands in a swamp. The beasts in the Nother World chase Lumpy until he dives into a log to hide. Meanwhile, Malla realizes that Lumpy has disappeared so she sends thought waves to Chewbacca to come quickly. Chewbacca receives the message and flies an explorer ship away from the Millennium Falcon to save Lumpy. Chewbacca finds Lumpy and returns with him back to the house. After arriving back home, Chewbacca is surprised by a secret birthday party. During the party, Chewbacca tells Lumpy that he is a hero for never giving up while trapped in the Nother World.

Behind the scenes
This is the first instance of Wookiees having the power of thought waves, which seems to be a telepathic link between Wookiees. It is unknown if this has a place in canon. The story also features a dual-seater starship held within the Millennium Falcon.

This book, along with The Kashyyyk Depths (published a month earlier), introduces the concept of Kashyyyk having a layered ecosystem, an idea later used and expanded upon in other works, such as Heir to the Empire.

The novel Tyrant's Test references the events of The Wookiee Storybook. It reveals that Lumpy's misadventure in the book had grown much in the retelling, until it became a family fable of sorts, populated by every monster of the dark depths of both jungle and imagination. It also explains that since that event, Lumpy had been content to stay close to the home tree.

Notes and references

 * Star Wars Insider 94