{{unreferenced, date=May 2019 ''Commander Toad'' is a series of children's books by

Jane Yolen Jane Hyatt Yolen (born February 11, 1939) is an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, and children's books. She is the author or editor of more than 350 books, of which the best known is '' The Devil's Arithmetic'', a Holocaust novella. H ...

, published by

Puffin Books Puffin Books is a longstanding children's imprint of the British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s, it has been among the largest publishers of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world. The imprint now belongs t ...

from 1980 to 1998. The series is a

toad Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scient ...

-themed parody of pop culture science fiction filled with puns. ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...

'' is referenced with many

pun A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophoni ...

s on iconic ''Star Wars'' characters including Jake Skyjumper (

Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The E ...

), Deep Wader (

Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...

) and Star Warts, the name of Commander Toad's ship. The books feature Commander Toad and his crew exploring the Galaxy for Starfleet, and each story is a different mission, a clear reference to ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

''. In 1993, the first book was adapted into an

ABC Weekend Special ''ABC Weekend Special'' is a weekly 30-minute American television anthology series for children that aired Saturday mornings on ABC from 1977 to 1997, which featured a wide variety of stories that were both live-action and animated. Similar to b ...

produced by Churchill Films. The special used puppets and it featured the voice of

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards ...

Books

* ''Commander Toad in Space'' (1980) * ''Commander Toad and the Planet of the Grapes'' (1982) * ''Commander Toad and the Big Black Hole'' (1983) * ''Commander Toad and the Dis-asteroid'' (1985) * ''Commander Toad and the Intergalactic Spy'' (1986) * ''Commander Toad and the Space Pirates'' (1987) * ''Commander Toad and the Voyage Home'' (1998) 1980s children's books Children's fiction books American children's book series Books about frogs Books about extraterrestrial life Star Wars parodies Parodies of Star Trek ABC Weekend Special Children's books by Jane Yolen