There have been many ways to enjoy the wizarding world of Harry Potter since the first novel was published in 1997. After J.K. Rowling’s acclaimed series about a young wizard battling the forces of evil debuted, it has been adapted into major motion pictures, theme park attractions, audio books, and more. The books themselves have been reissued to celebrate the series’ 15th anniversary in addition to being released digitally through Pottermore, which also includes a plethora of bonus background stories and information about characters, events, and even new notes from the writer herself. But now we’ll get to see the beloved tale in a whole new way as Scholastic has announced that the books will be fully illustrated for the first time ever.
According to The Washington Post, the publisher will release the illustrated version of ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ on October 6, 2015 and the rest to follow one per year over the next seven years. The artwork will come courtesy of Jim Kay, the recipient of Britain’s Kate Greenway Medal in 2012 for ‘A Monster Calls’ by Patrick Ness. As a preview for the upcoming releases, the first four images from the new edition of ‘The Sorcerer’s Stone’ featuring Hermione Granger, Ron Weasely, Draco Malfoy, and Hagrid have been released:
These images show quite the departure from the world we saw in the Warner Bros. films, which is definitely a good thing. However, without meaning to come down on Kay’s excellent work, it’s interesting that the publisher didn’t tap Mary GrandPré to provide the artwork for the illustrated editions of the ‘Harry Potter’ series since she did the covers and chapter images for the original run of the novels. Regardless, I’m sure that Potterheads will still flock to bookstores this fall to pick up the new versions.
What do you think of the first look at the illustrated edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’? Let us know in the comment section.
