By Megan Acquavella
Staff Reporter
The characters from the popular NBC television series “The Office” are coming back to life in a new children’s book.
The book, titled “The Office: A Day at Dunder Mifflin Elementary,” follows a young Michael Scott as he works to become the “World’s Best Line Leader.”
The author of the book is Robb Pealman and it is illustrated by Melanie Demmer.
The book is geared toward children ages 4 through 8, but it features plenty of nods toward and Easter eggs from the original series, making the book enjoyable for adults as well.
The book will also feature other popular Dunder Mifflin employees, including Dwight, Jim, Pam, Stanley, Phyllis, Meredith, Ryan and Toby.
Junior Hope Lecours said, “I would absolutely buy this book for my younger cousins or kids if I had any.”
“The Office” ran for nine seasons on NBC, from 2005 to 2013. The comedy ensemble starred Steve Carrell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Mindy Kaling and Rainn Wilson.
Sophomore Ryan McHallam said, “I have seen every episode of the show 3 or 4 times through and I have even seen some episodes back when it aired on NBC.”
The show is currently on Netflix for viewers to stream, allowing those who didn’t watch the show while it was on cable to be able to see it for the first time with a Netflix subscription. According to a July 2019 article from Chicago Tribune, “‘The Office’ is the most-watched show on Netflix.”
Junior Kristen Prindeville said, “During high school, I would binge-watch ‘The Office’ on Netflix and made sure to watch the whole series because I enjoyed it that much.”
According to People magazine, this is the second children’s book that has been inspired by the sitcom. “Fun at the Office!” by Mark Cloud was released in 2019 and follows memorable moments from the show.
Many fans believe that the best way for the comedy show and its characters to be converted into a children’s book is to have it brought down to an appropriate level for children.
Michael Giarrantano, a Clinical Assistant Professor for the Isabelle Farrington College of Education at Sacred Heart, said, “I think that a parody like ‘The Office’ could have some good life lessons for younger children if the content was delivered at their level.”
“For example, if Michael Scott was bragging or showing off or Dwight was jealous or envious, it could be a very good teaching moment for the youngsters,” said Giarratano.
Although the book is filled with fan-favorite characters and hilarious references to the acclaimed television show, the storyline is an age-appropriate way for fans of “The Office” to share their love with their friends or family.
There are many iconic moments from the show that are featured in the book as it follows Michael becoming the “World’s Best Line Leader,” even though he has no knowledge of how to lead his fellow Dunder Mifflin classmates.
“I definitely think it is a cute idea. There are so many fans of ‘The Office’ that would buy this, especially if they have children,” said Lecours.
“If I had a younger cousin or family member, I would let them read the book, but I feel like they would not appreciate it or understand as many of the jokes, having not seen the original series the book was based on,” said Prindeville.
The release date of the book is Oct. 6, 2020. Fans can already pre-order the book, which is available on Amazon and many other sites.
Sophomore Paige Brown said, “I think some of the shenanigans that the characters get into on the show can be re-written in a lighthearted way for children.”
