See sample pages from this book at Wink.
The story of Harry Potter is so well known that I won’t focus on that here. Instead, I’m going to talk about what makes this new edition so spectacular, and why it’s a must have for your bookshelf. You may have read Harry Potter before, but you’ve never read it like this. Almost every page features some kind of full-color illustration by artist Jim Kay. Illustrations come in a wide variety of forms, ranging from small page ornamentations to whole page spreads.
The full-page illustrations have a ton of detail and color and will likely make you stop mid-page to appreciate them. Each normal page features two columns of text, and some of the most interesting pages integrate illustrations into the text. Check out one of the example pictures up top, of an early scene in the book when Harry releases a snake from the zoo, and we get an illustration of the snake invading the text. Another great example (also from the zoo) is Dudley on the right-hand page gawking at a gorilla on the opposite page.
These are just some of the early examples of what Kay does, and the illustrations only get more and more engrossing throughout the book. Kay masterfully adds to the story in the same way that the illustrations in a children’s picture book add to the story. It never occurred to me that Harry Potter required illustrations, but after reading this it’s clear why someone thought they would make for a good experience. The only downside to the book is that it’s huge, so it probably isn’t something you’ll carry with you. On the other hand, if you’re reading this book it probably isn’t your first time (or even second or third time) reading Harry Potter, so that’s likely not an issue.
– Alex Strine
Harry Potter's new illustrated edition is spectacular
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The Illustrated Edition
by J.K. Rowling (author) and Jim Kay (illustrator)
2015, 256 pages, 9.7 x 10.9 x 1.2 inches
