In a little over 2 weeks, the first illustrated Harry Potter book will be released!
Prepare to be spellbound by Kate Greenaway winner Jim Kay’s detailed depiction of J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world and beloved characters in this special hardback edition of the modern children’s classic – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. J.K. Rowling has even endorsed the book, herself:
“Seeing Jim Kay’s illustrations moved me profoundly. I love his interpretation of Harry Potter’s world, and I feel honoured and grateful that he has lent his talent to it.”
In the short video below, Kay explains his illustration process, showing viewers models of Dobby the House Elf, a tower that seems to house a dragon, and Hogwarts; and explains how he uses those models to inform his work.
For those of you who have been living in another dimension here’s a spoiler-free run-down of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone:
When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he’s the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord’s curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived.
Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers, which could be valuable, dangerous – or both.
An incredible adventure is about to begin!
In a recent preview, Bloomsbury U.K. unveiled several pages from within the book, giving us a glimpse of how Kay’s brilliant illustrations will work in conjunction with Rowling’s text (and now we can’t wait to get our hands on it!). Check them out in the gallery below!
