This week marked a very exciting release that I have been absolutely itching to get my grubby little mitts on. But before we get to that, I feel obligated to provide some backstory as to how this all came about and why there's a bit of controversy. If you're not familiar with MinaLima, it's the graphic design studio that came out of the work of Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, who worked together to design some of the most iconic products and props from the Harry Potter movie franchise: the Marauder's Map, the packaging and advertising for the Weasley's joke shop, even the Hogwart's acceptance letter. Following the movies and the creation of their studio, MinaLima partnered with publishers to create some truly stunning editions of popular books... including Harry Potter.
I can't even begin to come up with a good metaphor to explain the absolutely wild coolness of having the original movie designers create special editions of the books themselves. The first three books in the series were released by Scholastic between 2020 and 2023 and then... nothing. Not even a peep about the Goblet of Fire. Fan theories ran rampant as to why there wasn't any news, everything from dementors to lack of interest in the pricier versions. And then, suddenly, the news came and it wasn't what anyone was expecting.
In mid-2024, MinaLima announced that they weren't being commissioned to continue the work on the Harry Potter series and people were devastated, myself included. For one thing, having an incomplete or mismatching set of books is one of my biggest bookish pet peeves and it looked then like there weren't going to be any more of this specific special edition. Aside from that, these versions are just so fun that it was really disappointing thinking we wouldn't get to see how the rest of them would turn out. I'm sure it was equally as disappointing for MinaLima; I imagine it would be like having someone snatch your baby out of your arms and then announce that someone else would be raising your child and you had to watch. Which, by the way, is exactly what happened.
Earlier this year, Scholastic announced that the line of "interactive" Harry Potter editions would continue... but under a completely different artist. Despite the sadness that MinaLima wouldn't get to keep working on the project, I have to say I was still very excited at the prospect of the remaining books being redone. I will definitely continue to keep an eye out for the latest MinaLima productions and it's on my bucket list to visit one of their storefronts. For now, however, we can either take what we can get or stop at the first three volumes that were released as a sign of solidarity; sadly, it appears I am not principled enough for the latter, so you will probably not be surprised to learn that this post is about the entire set that's been released to date.
Enough tragic backstory, let's talk about the books themselves and why they deserve a spot on your shelf. First off, these are nice books. Clothbound hardcover, gilt gold designs on the spines, beautiful illustrations on the covers... they really are stunning. Just from the outside, you almost wouldn't even be able to tell that Goblet of Fire was a completely different illustrator as they all line up pretty well. The coolest part of these editions, though, is the insides. Almost every single page in each book has some kind of artwork on it, whether it's a full-page illustration or a border or just a little corner picture. Do you know how much work it would take to have a unique piece of art for every page over four Harry Potter books? Me neither, but I know it's a LOT. I'm so left-brained that it blows my tiny little mind imagining how they can even come up with that much detailed artwork, but they somehow manage to tie all of the illustrations to what's going on in the story at that time. You could honestly just flip through the book and look at all the pictures and it would be just as good as reading it.
But wait, there's more! As if the gorgeous covers and insane amount of fun artwork weren't enough, these editions are like busy books for adults. Pop-ups, pull-outs, pieces that move and rotate and flip up - you name it, they've got it. Sure, it's fine to read about the Herbology class where they re-pot the baby mandrakes, but it'd be even more fun if you could pull one out of a pot by its leafy little top. And yeah, you can use your imagination to visualize the Dark Mark appearing over the crowd after the Quidditch World Cup... or you could pull down the flap and watch a 3D one magically pop up. There are several of these interactive pages in each book that, again, tie directly to what's happening in the story at that time. It really adds an extra element to the already enjoyable experience of reading.
To summarize, if you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Harry Potter Fan Syndrome, you need these bad boys. They're fun, they're beautiful, and they suck you into the story even more than books already tend to do. Yes, they're a little pricier than your standard paperback, but these editions have brought me so much joy over the past few years that the investment is totally worth it. And hey, rumor has it they're going to continue to produce the other books in the series, so with any luck, no incomplete sets!
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