Book Review: Christmas at Hogwarts by J.K. Rowling with Illustrations by Ziyi Gao

Every year, there are new Christmas themed books. Some of them are for adults while others are for children. They tell classic Christmas tales while others tell new and original stories. There are some that are inspired by popular media such as TV shows, movies, and more.

After watching and browsing these books for years, I noticed a major trend for these books. For the past few years, there has been a trend to publish Christmas books inspired by popular media for adults… but these books are meant for children.

One of the books I was curious about was Christmas at Hogwarts. I am not a huge Harry Potter fan, but I was curious about the book. The art looked really nice and the premise peaked my interest. After debating if I would actually like the book, I decided to buy myself a copy and read it myself.

This is what the book’s front cover looks like…

The book has a dust jacket. Unlike other books, the front of the physical book without the dust jacket looks exactly the same as the front of the dust jacket.

The end pages have a festive yet Harry Potter theme…

The title pages look like this…

 

And this is what some of the pages of the book look like…

 

 

The blurb for the book on Amazon is…

So begins Chapter Twelve of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and the heartwarming story of Harry Potter’s first Christmas at Hogwarts. From the Great Hall decked with magnificent fir trees to cozy evenings in the Gryffindor Common Room to the joy of presents on Christmas morning, it’s a holiday filled with warmth, friendship, good food, and magical surprises that Harry will never forget.

 

With text drawn directly from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and luminous illustrations by artist Ziyi Gao, this favorite moment from one of the most beloved books of all time is now fully illustrated for the whole family to enjoy. Sure to be treasured by Harry Potter fans of all ages, Christmas at Hogwarts is the perfect gift, destined to become an enchanting new holiday tradition.

The written portion of the book uses direct excerpts from chapter twelve from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. If you’ve read the book and are familiar with Harry Potter’s celebration at Hogwarts, then you know what happens in the book.

Even though the written portion of the book is the same, the illustrations are new. Ziyi Gao’s illustrations are really nice and depict what happens in the story very well. The characters in the story look similar to their movie counterparts and the original illustrations in the novels, but do look different in a nice way. The details of the buildings, decorations, and other scenery is is well done. Ziyi’s art style is obvious throughout the illustrations, adding a really nice variation to the well known illustrations in the novel.

I really like this book. It’s different than other Christmas children’s books I own, but I still like it. The I really like the illustrations and how they complement the written portion of the book. It is a more unconventional Christmas story because of what Christmas is and what it celebrates and how Hogwarts is a school for magic. (Which is something I was always confused about when it comes to the Harry Potter universe. Why do they celebrate Christmas aside from the tradition of it in England and a how it is a common time for school to close for a break?) Yet, I still see the charm of a Christmas at Hogwarts. It is also a really well done children’s book. I like it’s pacing, the layout, and other elements of the book. Now-en days, it is so easy to find mediocre books, including children’s books. This book is not that way. It is a well thought out children’s book. The attention to detail is clear throughout the book and is something I was both surprised and happy to see.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a book for little Harry Potter fans and older fans who love beautifully illustrated children’s books. It can also be a good book for children, families, and adults who want a Christmas themed children’s book, but it doesn’t contain the normal and typical Christmas characters such as Santa Claus. It can be read by non fans of Harry Potter as long as they have a small amount of knowledge and understanding of Harry Potter and what Hogwarts is.

I know there is an ongoing controversy among Harry Potter fans about comments J.K. Rowling said over the years. If there are any Harry Potter fans are worried about buying this book, I am judging this book based off the book itself and the quality of it. Not the comments of the author.

 

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading!