Product Description

'You've never heard of The Tales of Beedle the Bard?' said Ron incredulously. 'You're kidding, right?' (From Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) Published by the Children's High Level Group in association with Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the first new book from J. K. Rowling since the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Tales of Beedle the Bard played a crucial role in assisting Harry, with his friends Ron and Hermione, to finally defeat Lord Voldemort. Fans will be thrilled to have this opportunity to read the tales in full. An exciting addition to the canon of Harry Potter, the tales reveal the wonderful versatility of the author, as she tackles with relish the structure and varying tones of a classic fairy tale. There are five tales: 'The Tale of the Three Brothers', recounted in Deathly Hallows, plus 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune', 'The Warlock's Hairy Heart', 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot', and 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump'. Each has its own magical character and will bring delight, laughter and the thrill of mortal peril. Translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, the tales are introduced and illustrated by J. K. Rowling. Also included are notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore, which appear by kind permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters' Archive. CHLG is a charity co-founded by J. K. Rowling and Emma Nicholson MEP and campaigns to protect and promote children's rights and make life better for vulnerable young people. The Children's High Level Group is a charity established under English law. Registered Charity Number: 1112575.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #956 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-04
• Released on: 2008-12-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .41 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 108 pages

Customer Reviews

In a word ... Astonishing
Today I received the collector's edition of Harry Potter and the tales of beedle the bard. I also received the standard edition.

I opened the standard edition first and I thought it was very nice; beautifully illustrated, well bound together...

Then *deep breath* I opened the Collector's edition. I was overwhelmed by the size first; it was about a foot in height, but this only added to my excitement.

The "outer book" is leather and imprinted with "The Tales of Beedle the bard" and J.K Rowling's signature. There are little pictures of a skull, a treetrunk, a heart and a pot along with other little designs imprinted on the leather. And of course, these are imprinted with outstanding, breathtaking quality.
On the spine of the book, the words and the little sketch of a wand are eye-catching in a glimmering, gold font.
The outer book has that beautiful, authentic look of one of the books that you would find in the Hogwarts library as clearly shown in any of the Harry Potter films.

Upon opening the book, there is navy-blue velvet lining that adds sheer luxary to the amazing product.
There is a slipcase and in it a gold envelope that holds astounding work of art - the 10 framable prints of J.K's wonderful illustrations - and yes it's true - she IS quite the artist! The illustrations capture the fairytales and add more clarity and depth to the story; the tales just wouldn't be complete without them.

The book itself is encased in a beautiul deep red velvet bag. This is embroided with J.K's signature in a gold thread.

...And the book? What can I say but ... wow.
The cover is made of brown leather and yes, it is astonishing quality.
There are four metal corners, each with a blue gemstone. In the centre there is a metal skull, with two blue gemstones for eyes. There is a magnetic clasp set with a gemstone also. They say you shouldn't judge a book by a cover but the cover really is stunning; you will not be able to draw away your eyes.

The handwritten introduction to the book is such an authentic and realistic reproduction, I thought it was real; that J.K Rowling herself had scrawled the words across the pages. You will devour every word of the introduction, hungry for more..

The pages the fairytales are printed on are thick and high quality. The standard edition paper and print just cannot compare to the the high quality paper and the astounding print of the CE. It is an absolute pleasure to read.

As for the tales themselves... well I'll let you find out for yourself, but they are so original and wonderfully written I fell instantly in love with them. After reading thoroughly the 7 harry potter books I was glad for something new related with harry potter. Dumbledore comments on each of the stories, I found this very helpful as I got a better insight on each. Dumbledore's comments on the tale of the three brothers will ultimately help you understand the deathly hallows themselves.

As a fifteen year old major harry potter fan, I definitely feel that this is a wonderful addition to my potter collection. I didn't expect it to be as good as this, but it is, it really is. So much that I can not fault this spectacular book. Thank you Amazon for the outstanding quality you have put into this book. I sincerely reccommend that you buy the collector's edition while you still can! You will not be sorry! And J.K Rowling, you are amazing thank you so much for bringing Harry Potter in my life.

Short but very sweet
If only JK hadn't said in 'Deathly Hallows' that there were five tales in this collection! Then she could have given us our fill of post-Potter stories without continuity problems.
This is a great little book. But with a sad emphasis on little. I wanted more! The great thing about this collection is that it shows us the breadth of Rowling's talent. Each of the tales is individual, with a different tone; some light, some funny and - in the case of the Hairy Heart - some dark. And the commentary from Dumbledore has a pleasing academic tone while still being child-friendly.
Just imagine if there were seven tales, or ten, or twelve...
However, the price reflects the size which is great news. A fantastic stocking-filler for anyone with Potter withdrawal symptoms.

Potter Parables
This is a collection of five short parables, which remind me very much of reading Aesop's fables as a child. They are well written and thoughtful about the weaknesses of human character especially if you live in a world where magic is real. They are well written tales of fears and desires. For me they are actually better in some ways than the last Harry Potter book, because to tell a story with a message in such a small space and with originality and imagination is a serious challenge.

They are going to be perfect bed-time reading for my children and you have to think that JK probably had her own children in mind when she wrote them. I am not sure about the hairy heart one just before bed.