This Little Golden Book introduces young readers to the original Star Trek with a simple narrative that essentially identifies most of the main characters [but not Chekov or Nurse Chapel] and tells about their responsibilities on the Enterprise. The book’s title is misleading in that it is not Captain Kirk’s story; rather, the Star Trek mission is the focus of the narrative.

On the plus side, the illustrations depict many scenes from the original series. The artwork is colorful and many reviewers seem to appreciate it, but some fans of the series are likely to find the drawings more closely resemble unflattering caricatures, especially since the characters in the illustrations often look angry. Unfortunately, the artwork is also careless; uniform braid is inconsistent; uniform badges are frequently incorrect. That may seem petty, especially in a book written for toddlers, but the parents who purchase this book are most likely to be devoted fans of the show who will expect the book to have correctly-portrayed illustrations for both the character and the series.

Parents who want to share their love of Star Trek with their young readers may enjoy this opportunity, especially since the narrative itself is true to the spirit of the original series. Future books in the series, however, would benefit with some attention to the artwork. ( )