Reading Time: 4 minutes
As the world of Harry Potter expands, so do the offerings for enthusiasts and collectors. These three books are all solid options for adding to your home’s Harry Potter library. Whether you like to sit and gaze, explore and uncover, or get in on the action yourself, there is something for everyone in this latest batch of Harry Potter-themed books from Insight Editions.
Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts
The star of the show for this selection of Harry Potter books is Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts. If you’re a fan of pop-up books, this one is the most spectacular one I’ve ever seen. (And I’ve seen plenty—my mom is a bit of a collector.) Not only are there five main pop-up pages (two parts of the castle, the Quidditch pitch, Hogsmeade, and the Forbidden Forest), but each of those pages includes many smaller pop-ups (and even a ton of little hidden peeks into the buildings!) and plenty of companion text and imagery. The pages include behind-the-scenes content, detailed artwork, and closer looks at the Hogwarts Houses, the Room of Requirement, the Triwizard Tournament, the Marauder’s Map, and Harry’s final battle with Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, among other things.
BUT…
Here’s the coolest part. The whole book also unfolds to create a large Hogwarts scene with all of the locations in the book, as seen in the pictures above. The spine of the book basically opens up and all of the pages can be unfolded at once and placed on a (large) flat surface. There are even instructions on how to unfold the book without injuring any of the scenes. The final Hogwarts map effect is 33″ by 37″, so it will use much of your kitchen table.
Here’s a tour of the book with author and paper engineer Matthew Reinhart.
This is an incredible pop-up book specimen, and really takes us into the world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts. It’s a must-have for any collector. You’ll find yourself revisiting Hogwarts, time and time again, to see what new hidden treasures you can find each time.
Harry Potter: Creatures: A Paper Scene Book
If the creatures in the Harry Potter stories are a particular interest of yours, you must check out Harry Potter: Creatures: A Paper Scene Book. It includes four detailed scenes that pop out from the page, showing a foreground, middle ground, and background. Venture into the Forbidden Forest. Take on a powerful dragon. Swim in the Black Lake. And encircle yourself in Dark Creatures. Each scene is laser die-cut and full of intricate detailing.
On the pages following each scene, the book includes gorgeous and interesting drawings of the creatures, other relevant information and quotes from the books, and some behind-the-scenes facts from the movies. Young fans will enjoy seeing the detailed pop-out diorama scenes, while older kids and adults will enjoy the background information on the creatures, settings, and story context. The book doesn’t go into depth for any of the particular creatures, but it is perfect to encourage curiosity and further exploration.
Get a look at the inside of the book here!
Harry Potter: Imagining Hogwarts: A Beginner’s Guide to Moviemaking
The Harry Potter: Imagining Hogwarts: A Beginner’s Guide to Moviemaking book is the first in a brand new series that will teach kids how to create worlds through the lens of the Harry Potter movies. This book takes kids through the entire film making process, from storyboarding and set design to costumes and props to the actual film shoot itself. Kids learn, step-by-step, how to make their own Harry Potter-based movie!
Each section tackles a different part of the film making process and includes specific activities to do, tips to consider, forms to fill out, and props to make (including a fake book cover for Advanced Potion-Making and step-by-step instructions for making your own wand). The book includes stickers for potion bottles, an iron-on transfer to make your own uniform, and lots of professional tips to give your mini-movie a professional look.
Harry Potter: Imagining Hogwarts: A Beginner’s Guide to Moviemaking is part instruction book, part moviemaking kit. Each included activity gets kids closer to being ready to shoot their movie, and, scattered throughout the book, lightly glued between the pages, are items that can assist with making more realistic props and a more professional finished movie. I mentioned a couple of these earlier, but, in total, they include an example screenplay excerpt from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; a storyboard template; the book cover to Libatius Borage’s Advanced Potion-Making; stickers for potion bottles, ingredient bottles, your broom, and each of the Houses; and an iron-on transfer of the Hogwarts crest.
Some interesting sections of the book include The Clock of Invisibility, Wandmaking 101, The Rule of Thirds, Magic in Miniatures, and Spells, Charms, and Curses: Special Effects. The book really tries to cover all the bases, making the process of preparing for making a movie as fun as the movie itself.
Harry Potter: Imagining Hogwarts: A Beginner’s Guide to Moviemaking is perfect for anyone interested in how movies are made, but especially those who want to try their hand at it themselves. Its affordable price of less than $20 makes this book a fantastic value, considering how informative it is and how much it can teach a budding filmmaker.
All three of these books are available now and would be perfect gifts for any Harry Potter fan on your gift-giving list.
Note: I received book copies for review purposes.
Click through to read all of “New Epic Harry Potter Books Include a 3D Map of Hogwarts” at GeekDad.If you value content from GeekDad, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!
