Summary
A review of Fun with Kirk and Spock: A Star-Trek Parody by Robb Pearlman — a parody reading primer that reskins the original crew as a "see Spot run" style picture book.
A short, genuinely funny parody book that plays the "beginner reader" format completely straight — worth it for any Trekkie, whether as a gift or a laugh for yourself.
Let's get one thing straight: Fun with Kirk and Spock is not an official Star Trek book, and despite looking exactly like one, it's not really a children's book either. It's a parody dressed up as a beginner reading primer, and it plays that gag completely straight — down to the sentence structure and the deliberately simple illustrations. As someone who's been a Trekkie my entire life (Nimoy over Shatner, always), I picked this up expecting a novelty gift. What I got was something worth reading cover to cover, out loud, because it's that funny.
This year marks Star Trek's 60th anniversary, and this little book is one of the more ridiculous ways to celebrate it. If you grew up on the original series, every page hits a nerve of recognition — and if you didn't, it's still genuinely funny on its own.
Summary
PROS and CONS
Pros
- Genuinely funny for adult Star Trek fans, not just a novelty item
- Plays completely straight-faced as a reading-primer parody — no wink needed
- Short, quick read that works great read aloud
- Timely tie-in for Star Trek's 60th anniversary
- A fun, easy gift for any Trekkie in your life
Cons
- Not an official Star Trek product — worth noting for franchise completionists
- Despite the primer format, it's not actually appropriate as a real children's book
- Humor leans on knowing original series tropes; newer fans may miss some jokes
Fun with Kirk and Spock In Depth Review
Problem Solved: This book solves the classic "gift for the fan who has everything" problem, and it also fills a fun niche: a short, quotable read-aloud piece for content, parties, or just your own amusement.
Design & Build: The illustrations and sentence structure deliberately mimic classic early readers — simple, blocky art paired with short declarative sentences ("The Gorn is tall. The Gorn is green.") that build to an absurd payoff.
Performance: The joke structure holds up consistently across the whole book rather than running out of steam after the first few pages — the escalation from mundane observation to specific absurdity (a personal favorite: "The Gorn is fashion-forward") is the engine of the humor, and it keeps working.
Target Audience: Adult Trekkies, gift-givers shopping for fans, parody/novelty book collectors, and anyone who grew up on the original series.
Thank you for reading my review. Get a *Fun with Kirk and Spock today and have fun! If you want you could even enjoy some Bat Wings in the Air Fryer, just don't get the pages dirty!
Fun with Kirk and Spock Video Transcript
Review
Good afternoon.
And welcome to the Good Plate's kitchen.
Today, we're doing something a little different.
Hi there.
I'm Adrienne Boswell.
And I've been a Trekkie my entire life.
And if you want to know who's always Leonard Nimoy over William Shatner for me.
And this is we're celebrating a very special anniversary this year.
I thought today that I would read a little bit from this wonderful book, Fun with
Kirk and Spock.
See the Gorn?
The Gorn is tall.
The Gorn is green.
The Gorn is wearing a one-piece sleeveless tunic
with brocaded accents and matching gothlets.
The Gorn is fashion-forward.
This is a parody, not official Star Trek book.
And honestly, not really a children's book either.
Even though it's built like one.
This marks Star Trek 60th anniversary.
And this little book is one of the more ridiculous ways to celebrate it.
If you grew up on the original series, every
page is going to hit a nerve recognition.
And if you didn't, it's still genuinely funny.
on its own.
I'll leave a link below if you want to grab a copy for yourself.
Or let's be honest, the Trekkie in your life who needs a good laugh.
Maybe you.
And as always, live long and prosper.
See you next time on the good plate.
Forward forward. Forever flavorful. Yum Yum!
