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Binding: Hardcover Brand: Harper Collins Publishers EAN: 9780545128285 Is Autographed: 1 ISBN: 0545128285 Is Memorabilia: 1 Label: Children's High Level Group Manufacturer: Children's High Level Group Publication Date: 2008-12-04 Publisher: Children's High Level Group Release Date: 2008-12-04 Studio: Children's High Level Group
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.
The stories are accompanied by delightful pen-and-ink illustrations by Ms. Rowling herself, featuring a still-life frontispiece for each one. Professor Dumbledore’s commentary—apparently written some eighteen months before his death—reveals not just his vast knowledge of Wizarding lore, but also more of his personal qualities: his sense of humor, his courage, his pride in his abilities, and his hard-won wisdom. Names familiar from the Harry Potter novels sprinkle the pages, including Aberforth Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy and his forebears, and Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (or “Nearly Headless Nick”), as well as other professors at Hogwarts and the past owners of the Elder Wand. Dumbledore tells us of incidents unique to the Wizarding world, like hilariously troubled theatrical productions at Hogwarts or the dangers of having a “hairy heart.” But he also reveals aspects of the Wizarding world that his Muggle readers might find all too familiar, like censorship, intolerance, and questions about the deepest mysteries in life.
Altogether, this is an essential addition to our store of knowledge about the world and the magic that J. K. Rowling has created, and a book every true Harry Potter fan will want to have for their shelves.
This purchase also represents another very important form of giving: From every sale of this book, Scholastic will give its net proceeds to the CHILDREN'S HIGH LEVEL GROUP, a charity cofounded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, MEP. CHLG campaigns to protect and promote children's rights and make life better for vulnerable young people. www.chlg.org
Published by the Children's High Level Group, in association with Arthur A. Levine Books, THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD will be available December 4, 2008.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Beedle is Brilliant, as expected Comment: The Tales of Beedle the Bard was a wonderful read. Not only did we get four original tales from Beedle, aside from The Tale of the Three Brothers from Deathly Hallows, but there was insightful and entertaining commentary provided by none other than Albus Dumbledore himself which he wrote 18 months before his death. Jo was kind enough to provide additional info that Muggles may not be accustomed to as well.
We not only got some interesting insight about the background of the stories and Beedle's inspiration for writing them, but we got neat little tidbits about the Wizarding World as well, such as some background into Nearly Headless Nick's demise, Professor Kettleburn (the CoMC teacher before Hagrid), some of Malfoy's relatives, as well as several other awesome facts that JKR never got to include in the main series.
Out of all of the stores, I'd have to say that my favorite is The Fountain of Fair Fortune, although they're all amazing as I knew they would be.
All in all it was, as Jo Rowling always produces, a wonderfully imaginative, entertaining, brilliant read, with dashes of humor here and there that she has mastered so wonderfully. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, therefore, comes highly recommended!
P.S. Grumble the Grubby Goat FTW. Customer Rating: Summary: Really Good Fairy Tales Comment:Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3A9TWEL19OQMU Customer Rating: Summary: awsome funtastic read Comment: I enjoyed this book alot.It was a fun read and a fast one.A book for any fan of the HP series Customer Rating: Summary: Pretty Good Comment: The book was decent, in a cutesy kind of way. It is a very quick read -- somewhere around 100 pages. Being in my twenties, I think I was probably a little older than the intended audience. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the Harry Potter series, but with one caveat: Don't get your hopes up too high. It's good and provides some insight into "The Deathly Hallows," but it's no Harry Potter. Customer Rating: Summary: An crucial piece of Harry Potter's SHOCKING HISTORY! Comment: This book warms my Potter-loving heart and will be treasured for generations to come. I have also purchased the collector's edition as an heirloom keepsake which is a very cool edition.
As for the tales themselves, there is a very dark "Brothers Grimm" edge to each tale that is very cool on several levels. Readers of many ages will appreciate different aspects of Rowling's fairytale with varied degrees of understanding, and that's the mark of a very talented writer. Ms. Rowling calls these "moral fables," and she is quite right in that, though we can also read them as pure fable without digging into the deeper morality issues that Rowling is talking behind the scenes. To add to the morality of the book, Dumbledore highlights the key morals lessons in his usual non-offensive manner that makes Harry's hidden morals easier to swallow. Wizard and Muggles alike will thoroughly enjoy spending more time with Dumbledore, the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever known, and it's wonderful that Rowling found very clever way to share Dumbledore's wisdom with us even though he is deceased.
Interesting to note is Rowling's morals about magic "causing as much trouble as it cures" which shows that our world and the magic world have the same human problems. Even more interesting is Rowling's apparent stab at real-world censorship of her books in American schools noting that Beatrix Bloxam wanted to take all the darker elements out of the Beedle's tales to sanitize them. Astonishingly true to her past interview words about this being the only life we live (as in, no reincarnation) from which she said she believes we "don't come back" and that "no magic can re-awaken the dead," Rowling reinforces the dead-is-dead concept with the tale of Babbity Rabbity. As if all those morals weren't enough, Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard is also touting the redemptive power of love, just like she did throughout her entire Harry Potter series.
Most astonishing about this book is that Scholastic has released a reported 3.8 millions copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and worldwide the number is estimated at 8 million copies... and these are touted as morals fables! In an era of video games, internet porn, and dog-eat-dog materialism, millions are eager to read these purposely-marketed moral tales. Extraordinary!
The success of the highly moral "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" is a testament to the unique power of Potter, yet I was thoroughly prepared for their potency and the many layers of Rowling's new tales because I just finished reading the new book I bought here at Amazon.com , "Does Harry Potter Tickle Sleeping Dragons?" by Nancy Solon Villaluz. (Which recounts a previously unnoticed wealth of Harry and Rowling's true history as no one has done before.) In fact, if you want even more understanding of Harry Potter's, J.K. Rowling's, and Beedle the Bard's biggest secrets and true history that will entertain you while blowing your mind with fresh Potter insights, I highly recommend "Does Harry Potter Tickle Sleeping Dragons?" as the perfect Potter companion. Harry's hidden meaning is absolutely, but wonderfully, SHOCKING! (Click here to see Amazon listing): Does Harry Potter Tickle Sleeping Dragons?
Bottom line: I highly recommend The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Get either edition - or both - and enjoy Rowling's masterfully moral tales with the fellow Harry Potter fans you love.
