The book Harry Potter: The Art of the Films

Divided into five parts, the book covers: the wizarding world through its locations; wizards, witches and Muggles through the students, the teachers and even the ghosts; magical creatures, whether the animal companions of the students or far more evil creatures; magical objects such as wands, brooms and the school's paintings; the graphic design of the magical world through textbooks, posters, magazines and crests. Each chapter begins with an introductory text that highlights the challenges and the visual specifics of the theme. The rest of the book is given over entirely to the illustrations, giving them full power and making this a coffee table book with an unprecedented visual journey. Between rare and never-before-published images of Hogwarts castle and other legendary locations, portraits of the most popular characters, stunning graphic works such as the covers of the books in the library's Restricted Section and previously unseen concept art such as Hermione in a blue ball gown for the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the journey promises to be dazzling. Some drawings even come with fold-out pages so you can admire the details of the wizarding school's castle or creatures such as the dragons.

However, even though this journey is a real treat for the eyes, the text content leaves something to be desired. The texts are kept short and it can be disappointing not to know which choices led to the evolution of a set's or a character's design. These brief captions may prove frustrating, as may the fact that some drawings only appear very small in the book. Despite these small negative points, Harry Potter: The Art of the Films stands out from other Harry Potter publications. It is a beautiful collector's book of excellent quality. Enough to bring the magical world to life and to enjoy leafing through the pages again and again.