About LEGO Books Dorling Kindersley
Dorling Kindersley, known as DK, publishes the official LEGO reference and idea books, and the run here starts with The Ultimate LEGO Book in 1999. Many come with a minifigure, often one not sold anywhere else, and for some collectors the figure is the reason to buy the book. The Visual Dictionaries and Character Encyclopedias are the best known of these, and the popular ones are updated every few years with a new edition and a new figure.
1999 LEGO Sets
1999 was a landmark year with the launch of LEGO Star Wars, the company’s first licensed theme, debuting alongside The Phantom Menace. This partnership with Lucasfilm transformed LEGO’s strategy and ushered in the era of licensed themes. New original lines included Rock Raiders, Slizers (Throwbots), and Adventurers: Jungle, while LEGO Education was formally established from LEGO Dacta. Several older themes—Cyberslam, TechPlay, UFO, Insectoids, Znap, and Model Team—were retired, marking a clear generational shift toward modern play concepts and digital engagement.