Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book

My daughter and I both love pop-up books and I finally got around to buying this Harry Potter pop-up. It is quite simply an astounding piece of work and a marvel of paper engineering. When I opened the book, I saw a large, thick purple envelope which opens to reveal several items. There is a large poster of Harry Potter riding Buckbeak, a Wanted poster for HP, and also a Ministry of Magic announcement regarding Death Eaters. Then there is a little red envelope that opens to reveal a Howler (nothing to match a real-life Howler, but still impressive).Altogether there are five full page pop-ups, and yes, I wish there had been more, but considering how intricate each of these pop-ups are, I'm satisfied. The first pop-up is of Diagon Alley, and there is a smaller pop-up of darling Hedwig, the snowy owl and beloved pet of Harry. It was interesting to discover that Hedwig was played by a real-life snowy owl named Gizmo and several stand-ins. There's also a small pop-up of the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes storefront.The second pop-up is my favorite, that of the amazing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is truly an amazing example of paper engineering, and reminded me of the life-size model which I saw when I visited the Wizarding World of HP at Orlando last fall. Then there's a small pop-up of the Durmstrang ship and also the Beauxbaton's carriage which appeared in HP and the Goblet of Fire.The third pop-up features some of the magical creatures that make their appearances during the various Harry Potter films. There is Aragog the giant spider, Buckbeak, thestrals, centaurs, and Hagrid's brother Grawp. Also featured is Hagrid's hut with Hagrid and his pet dog posing outside. The two smaller pop-up inserts feature Fluffy, the three-headed dog which guarded the sorcerer's stone, and the scene where Harry and his classmates are repotting mandrakes.The next pop-up features Magical Games and Sports and opens up to reveal Harry trying his best to get the Golden Egg from the Hungarian Horntail. The dragon looks magnificent! The smaller pop-ups feature a miniature Wizard's Chess session as seen in HP and the Sorcerer's Stone, and the second one opens to reveal Ron in a victorious moment during a game of Quidditch.The final pop-up is the darkest in theme and appearance. It reveals the Dark Arts as depicted in the Harry Potter movies. There's Harry stuck in the graveyard, at the mercy of Lord Voldemort with his cronies there to assist him (Lucius Malfoy, Wormtail, and other Death Eaters). A smaller pop-up features Nagini, Voldemort's giant snake, while another reveals the gruesome Inferi, and finally the last little pop-up is one of the Dementors.This pop-up book makes a nice addition to any Harry Potter fan's library.

Both ruggedly built and finely crafted, this book is a delightful blend of exceptionally detailed art and in-depth, behind-the-scenes information that both children and adults can enjoy equally. When I first opened the book, I was enthralled with the breathtaking art. The pages are lush and realistic; flipping through them is like flying through the world of Harry Potter on your Firebolt.As if the fantastic artwork were not enough to make me buy this book, the unbelievable amount of source information on the filming of the Harry Potter franchise puts this book in a rank of its own. I have seen other well-made pop-up books about famous films, but I have never before seen one that explains about how the film was made and how the scenes were conceived. This book goes so far as to tell you the real-life name of Hedwig and the fact that the owl had "stand-ins." Because of this level of detailed information, reading it is a very satisfying learning experience. And if you are thinking that this information targets a more mature audience, think again. This book's descriptions of behind-the-scenes facts are written in a manner that most reading levels can easily grasp.Adding together the brilliant artwork and informative content of this book, I would highly recommend its purchase to any Harry Potter fan.

I first saw this book at a local book store and I was itching to buy it since I enjoyed reading all the Harry Potter information along with the beautiful illustration and pop-up effect, but I had to hold out to check Amazon's pricing. I am very happy with my purchase, I really love the book and I got it at a great price here on Amazon.com. The book is a real attention-grabber that will be appreciated by all Harry Potter fans. Lots of info and pictures inside ... I wish there was even more, it's that good.

The scenes are beautiful and intricate. Definitely not for little hands but a great addition to a Harry Potter collection. Great gift for a Harry Potter fan!