Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Illustrated Edition

J.K. Rowling

Illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter, Bloomsbury released anniversary house editions of The Philosopher’s Stone, and also this year was the release of an illustrated edition of Newt Scamander’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

The front cover rivals the Prisoner of Azkaban as the holder of the best looking cover. Gill has chosen the Occamy, which we see in the 2016 film starring Eddie Redmayne. This image also typifies Gill’s style perfectly. Below are two more images, two of my favourites from the book actually; the Romanian Longhorn- the detail afforded to this dragon is brilliant, which is matched by the text description too. The Griffin is also another one that I loved pouring over, the feathers are have such minute detail that this mythical creature looks very real indeed, the treasure that provides the backdrop completes a wonderful image.

Three more images for you…I don’t want to give too much away! I’ve chosen the deep red Salamander, which despite it’s small size features as a XXX on the M.O.M (Ministry of Magic) Classification list for magical creatures. Next is the Nundu, a magical creature that hasn’t featured in any of Rowling’s Wizarding World yet, but looks amazing. It is animal that “has never yet been subdued by fewer than a hundred skilled wizards working together.” A devastating prospect! And finally the Moke, a silver-green lizard, is not the most awesome of creatures that feature in this illustrated edition, but the detail that Gill gives to this lizard is exceptional! I hope my photos do them justice..

Next up in Harry Potter Week…A Journey Through A History of Magic, and Harry Potter: A History of Magic. The two companion books released in conjucntion with the British Library Exhibition. I will most likely publish that post on Saturday 23rd December, as I will be having a Harry Potter day in London tomorrow, watching both parts of Cursed Child and visiting the Potter Exhibition at the British Library!!