Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Illustrated Edition Synopsis
Brimming with rich detail and humour that perfectly complements J.K. Rowling's timeless classic, Jim Kay's glorious illustrations will captivate fans and new readers alike. When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he's the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord's curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers, which could be valuable, dangerous - or both. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
Jim Kay has been utterly absorbed by the task of illustrating the Harry Potter books. Every image was cross-referenced not only with the seven Harry Potter novels, but also Rowling’s other books about the Harry Potter world. For example, one spread in The Philosopher’s Stone shows the anatomy of a troll which uses information from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
When drawing Harry, he imagined a “Blitz kid, a scrappy, energetic character”, but Kay couldn’t quite pin him down until he spotted a boy on the Tube in London. “I asked his mum if I could draw him and gave her my card. I got half an hour of photographing him¬—but I couldn’t tell him he was going to be Harry Potter.”
Kay’s inspiration for Hermione came from his niece, who “just is Hermione, especially in the way she moves”, and he based his image of Dumbledore on an illustrator friend of his, although he has declined to reveal who that person is.
Kay said that as far as he knows, Harry Potter author J K Rowling has not requested any changes. “She is amazing, she just lets you reinvent things,” he said. “I got a letter from her saying how much she liked it and it was the nicest letter I’ve ever had. It took me six months to get up the courage to write back.”
