Book Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

By: Newt Scamander (J.K. Rowling)

Published By: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: November 2012

Page Count: 123

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Purchased by Reviewer

Audience: Middle Grades/Young Adult - Fantasy

I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan and want to pass on that love to my new little one. In utero, my son listened to me read aloud from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. After we got home and settled, we dove into the Hogwarts Library collection. I love our bedtime ritual which always includes reading of some sort from both me and my husband. This little book was a particular favorite of mine as I was fascinated to learn more about the creatures that inhabit the HP universe while spending quality time with my baby. I can't wait to reread this when he's old enough to enjoy it as much as Mommy.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is meant to be a textbook for the students at Hogwarts, so it reads a bit like an encyclopedia of sorts. Each beast is described in detail and includes little stories and antidotes. I enjoyed visualizing some of the more rare creatures. 

Furthermore, my edition has notes throughout that were written by Harry, Hermione, and Ron. These little additions made the read special as it was fun to see how the characters responded to reading the same book. I also loved the foreward written by Albus Dumbledore.

This is an essential item for any Potter lover's library. I also am so excited to see the movie based on Newt Scamander's travels.

One Last Gripe: I would have liked illustrations to accompany the text about each beast.

Favorite Thing About The Book: Spending time in the Potter universe

First Sentence: I was deeply honoured when Newt Scamander asked me to write the foreword for this very special edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.

Summary:

A copy of Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them resides in almost every wizarding household in the country. Now Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Comic Relief, which means that the pounds and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope that passing wizards feel more charitable if they see you being attacked by a Manticore.

- Albus Dumbledore