Harry Potter Journey to Hogwarts: A Book of Magical Surprises (Pop-Up Book) Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Helen O
Having grown up alongside Harry Potter for the majority of my life, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to review ‘Harry Potter, Journey to Hogwarts: A Book of Magical Surprises’.
The wizarding world of Harry Potter first burst onto our screens over 25 years ago, when we were introduced to Harry, Ron and Hermione as they embarked on their journey to the magical world of Hogwarts. The Harry Potter franchise remains one of the most successful in history and is still as popular as ever.
There was a little wait for this book, but it’s brand new and hot off the press, so that’s to be expected and it was a lovely surprise when it popped through the letterbox. It arrived in a large padded envelope and when I opened it, was in pristine condition, wrapped in a cellophane sleeve.
My first impression of the book is that it looks stylish and suitably designed to embody the ‘Harry Potter’ feel that it is aimed at. Boasting ‘a book of magical surprises’, I certainly wasn’t disappointed when I opened it.
Cleverly engineered by David Hawcock, this book presents 6 key scenes from ‘Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone’ and by using a series of pull-tabs, levers, wheels and pop-ups recreates some of the magic from the movie, alongside narrative explaining how some of the effects were achieved, so it is absolutely perfect for any Harry Potter super-fan.
The illustrations are brilliantly life-like, recapturing the scenes beautifully and highly realistically. I read the book with my son, who thoroughly enjoyed the immersive experience. We especially loved the letter from Professor McGonagall, with such intricate detail. There are even some bits we didn’t spot on our first read through but noticed when we read it again.
Having two children, I have often read lift the flap and pop-up-style books over the last few years, but I don’t recall seeing anything similar designed to capture the imagination of all ages.
I think a negative of this book is that it only depicts moments from the movie, up until Harry, Ron and Hermione are issued their ‘houses’ using the sorting hat and then marvelling at the moving staircases. There is a lot of this story that isn’t covered by the book. Not to mention several more movies in the franchise. Then again, it is named the ‘Journey to Hogwarts’ so it does cover the expected range.
I’d definitely see this book as part of a series, which would become part of a wider collection for the discerning Harry Potter fan. Although this would potentially set the bank balance back somewhat!
The RRP of this magical pop-up book is £24.99, which on first glance appears quite steep for a book that is essentially 12 pages long. However, taking into account the engineering involved in producing such an intricate piece of work, I don’t think the price point is out of the way expensive. However, the shipping fee is approximately £9, which is very expensive and I would imagine would make the book cost-prohibitive sadly, particularly given the initial outlay of the book.
I’ve rated this pop-up book as 4 out of 5 based on the associated shipping fee and given that the book only covers the first part of story of the Philosopher’s Stone.
I’d recommend this pop-up book for any Harry Potter Super-fan, who’s looking to add something different to their collection.
You don’t have to wait long to purchase this pop-up book as it’s released on 15th October 2024. Although it’s available for pre-order already.
There are lots of other Harry Potter themed goodies available from the website at: https://insighteditions.com/collections/harry-potter
Rating: 4/5
RRP: Harry Potter Journey to Hogwarts: A Book of Magical Surprises RRP £22.74
Buy here: https://insighteditions.com/products/harry-potter-s-journey-to-hogwarts
Release date: 15th October 2024