Dilemma: The first birthday of our friends’ child was approaching, and little Alaster already had more than enough stuffed animals and blinking, beeping electronic doo-dads.

Solution: Ignore work for three or four days and illustrate a Star Wars-themed take-off on a beloved children’s book instead.

Added bonus: It will also make a great gift for our own forthcoming Little One.

Result: I think the parents liked it more than Alaster, who was probably still reeling from his first sugary birthday cake experience. And I’m not sure, but I may have detected traces of jealousy on the faces of other parents in the room.

However, rather than publish and sell copies of this as was suggested, I’m much happier releasing it freely to the world. The catch: you have to print and assemble it yourself. But don’t worry, I won’t leave you high and dry...following are step-by-step instructions to produce a good quality book with a minimum of fuss.