As a fan of his work it was wonderful to see his illustrations appear in the text, and so nice to be working with him in the team.

Best Illustrated Harry Potter Books - Five Books The Best Illustrated Harry Potter Books - Five Books

Perhaps most of all I was looking forward to Jim Kay’s illustration of the incredibly well written and despicable Dolores Umbridge. There are now YouTube stars who have grown out of Harry Potter fandom, and authors such as the bestselling Cassandra Clare who initially made their names through Potter fanfiction. While you’re waiting for the fifth installment in Kay’s series, be sure to listen to our Harry Potter podcast MuggleCast, in which we celebrate and analyze the world of Potter every week! If you are looking for a gift for a Harry Potter fan who already identifies with one of the four houses at Hogwarts but who doesn’t yet have the books, the house edition would be perfect.

These editions are perfect for the youngest generation of readers, who are just old enough to enjoy the story but still have a preference for picture books. I am extremely lucky to have been involved in a franchise that has meant so much to so many people across the world. In 2023, the shortlisted books include a slow-burn mystery set in colonial Australia and a thrilling new novel from the author of Fatherland.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Bloomsbury Publishing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Bloomsbury Publishing

Now an exciting new collaboration brings together two virtuoso artistic talents, as Kate Greenaway Medal winner Jim Kay is joined by acclaimed guest illustrator Neil Packer, winner of the 2021 BolognaRagazzi Award for non-fiction.Jim Kay has so far illustrated four of the seven Harry Potter books in the series, with his most recent work in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire released back in 2019. Neil Packer adds: ‘As both a friend and a colleague it was an honour to be asked to work alongside Jim Kay on this book. A perfect gift book, it is available in either hardcover or paperback and – like the exhibition – is something that adults and children can enjoy together. No detail has been spared here, with each page lovingly decorated with different wizarding world flashbacks, from the snowy towers of Hogwarts to the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley.

HARRY POTTER: Illustrated Editions: Harry Potter Books 1-5

MinaLima is a collaboration between Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, the designers who created the graphic style of the Harry Potter films. Jim Kay again does an exceptional job capturing those descriptions in illustrated form as all illustrated pages are something to look forward to as you read through the book. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. In one of our ‘kids recommend books for kids’ interviews, 10-year-old Izzy spoke about the addictive quality of the series, the fun contributed by twins Fred and George, and how everything comes together at the end “like pieces of a jigsaw.

There are new characters who make things far more difficult for our young heroes than one would imagine. She then continued Harry’s story as a grown-up in a stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which she wrote with playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany. As well as interviews with authors and experts, she carefully picks the best kids' books of 2023 and the best teen books of 2023 to bring you the very best books for kids as they are published. I praise each painting that is included, even if it might feel like fewer due to the size of this book. With Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows only slightly shorter than Phoenix, we assume that the remaining two Illustrated Editions will be published in Fall 2023 and Fall 2025 respectively.

HARRY POTTER: Illustrated Editions: Books: Bloomsbury

Though there’s been a lot of controversial news coming out of the Harry Potter fandom in recent years, one area of the franchise that has never received negative feedback is Kay’s reimagining of the Potter series. Judging by the fact that it says “Year 1” on its spine, it’s possible that MinaLima intends to illustrate the entire series. This new full-colour gift book sees the Kate Greenaway medal winner being joined by guest artist Neil Packer, winner of the BolognaRagazzi Award 2021. Kibuishi wrote about this project: “As an author myself, I tried to answer the question, ‘If I were the author of the books—and they were like my own children—how would I want them to be seen years from now? Entering the magical world of Harry Potter is a wonderful gift for any child, and finding a beautiful edition can be an important part of the journey.

We will miss collaborating with Jim enormously, but he will always have a very special place in our Harry Potter family of unparalleled illustration talent. I know the books are getting longer so that may be more difficult but I admit I was hoping with the additional time for this edition it would have more. The visual content of the book is composed of a selection of iconic artwork from Bloomsbury’s four Illustrated Editions, complemented by unseen pencil sketches and preparatory studies from the Jim Kay art archive. Bloomsbury and Scholastic have announced that the much anticipated illustrated version of Harry Potter’s fifth adventure is set to be published on 11th October.