J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World: Movie Magic Volume Two: Curious Creatures by Ramin Zahed

J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World: Movie Magic Volume Two: Curious Creatures Reviews

• 
  Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile

  A breathtakingly stunning explanation of the art design behind all of the Harry Potter movie creatures. My favorite part was reading about the pets and how they were trained. I want to collect all these wonderful books! So if anyone was wondering what to get me for Christmas, now you know! 😉
• 
  Sophie Crane

  Epic! Again like book 1. But this book is about the creatures in the wizarding world. Some of it does cross over with the last book but it's still fantastic.
  
  Lots go information on all the creatures like buckbeak, thestrals, goblins, nifflers, house elves. I got this book before I got book 1 so I kinda like it more.
  
  I love the way they are laid out like scrapbook with bits stuck in because there is loads to explore.
• 
  Bex

  One thing is clear - I need to get a Niffler in my life. And this book should have told me how. But I'll make do with the stickers inside for now - so step into Newt's suitcase, enjoy the ride, you're about to be smacked in the face by all sorts of wizarding creatures in this second volume in the Movie Magic collection.
  
  As with the first volume, I can't get over how much effort has gone into this collection. Each page is crammed full of Potter/Newt facts with glorious pictures throughout and tons of interactive things to do. Most of us who were of a similar age to Harry and the gang when the movies were released should have probably outgrown the enjoyment gained from pop-ups, flaps to flip and interactive bits of creativity to take in. But I just haven't. And I think you probably shouldn't either.
  
  From Hedwig to Occamy, there is nothing missing from this book of wonders. You absolutely need it - and not just to look impeccable on your shelf with all the other Potter memorabilia (although it is beautiful!).
  
  ARC provided free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  jessica ☾

  This second volume wasn’t quite as captivating as the first, but I still thoroughly enjoyed myself all the same. And now after seeing one without hair, I will never be able to look at a Pygmy Puff the same ever again- they’re so cute!
• 
  Everlinet

  Kinda quite and interesting. Beautiful images and design, cute little posters etc. a little bit unnecessary book yet it’s great for collectors. I was a bit bored to read about Fantastic Beasts as I dislike the movie, yet Harry Potter parts were awesome and educative.
• 
  Jordan

  This book is a interesting read it tells you how they made each creature and the thought process on how they got to the final look of the creature, and tells you how they filmed some the scene with them in it.
• 
  Emma Francois

  Really interesting again to read about the behind the scenes of the wizarding world. I think I enjoyed the places and people more than the creatures but interesting nonetheless!
• 
  Cat Strawberry

  This is such a stunning book and perfect for any Harry Potter fan. This hardback is heavy and beautifully embossed with glossy images of al the creatures on the front and some lovely shiny gold embellishments. The book is filled with thick glossy pages with some wonderful photos and sketches as well as some text and fun extras attached to the pages.
  
  ‘Curious Creatures’ is the second in the ‘J. K. Rowling’s Wizarding World Movie Magic’ series of three books and shows lots of the creatures that were part of the Harry Potter’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ films. Arranged in chapters according to film and what type of creatures they are, each page or double page is filled with some beautiful images and some great information all about that particular creature.
  
  Beginning with creatures from ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ you are introduced to characters such as the Niffler, Murtlap, Mooncalf and Nundu, to name a few, before focusing on those found in the ‘Harry Potter’ films like the Centaurs, Thestrals, various Dragons and the animals like Hedwig and Crookshanks. Each creature or animal is introduced with interesting facts mentioned such as what the creatures do in the films and more importantly how they were animated or used in the films.
  
  There are some stunning images throughout the book. Each creature has a photo or picture of it along with various other photos from the films or illustrations of the creatures including some interesting sketches of some of them which look like early sketches by the designers to show different versions of each creature or the various movements of them. Along with the images is some fun snippets of text all about the creatures, from information about their habitat and various appearances in the films to the most interesting information on how they were put into the films. I had no idea that so many of the CGI animations started as real-life models that had to then be scanned into a computer before they could be animated. It’s interesting to learn which of these creatures were CGI and which were animatronic (robotic versions). I also really enjoyed learning about the real animals used for the various roles such as Hedwig and how long it took to train some of them. All of these pieces of information are very interesting and easy to understand in the snippet style used in each page.
  
  Each page is colourful and arranged in a way that is fun, but there are also lots of little extras which are stuck into this book. It’s this aspect that I enjoyed the most as I’ve always loved books with added extra bits to look at and touch. A lot of the extras are little pieces of paper or cards attached to the pages by a small corner and include some fun extra information or illustrations. There are also flaps to lift and explore and even some pop-up details, all of which go to make this book extra special. Inside one page featuring some dragons there was a small booklet of various dragon illustrations and one page even has a mini section of a newspaper to look at! Two pages have sheets of stickers which feature a selection of the creatures that are in this book and the inside of the back cover holds a removable poster of some medicinal plants from the movies that weren’t featured in other parts of the book.
  
  This book is amazing and even as someone who’s not a huge Harry Potter fan I am mesmerised by how stunning and interesting this book is. I recommend this to anyone who’s a fan of the films or just interested in them and how the movies were created. This really is a lovely gift for any age and one that will really be enjoyed.
  
  Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy (as part of ‘J. K. Rowling’s Wizarding World: Movie Magic Collection’).
• 
  Whispering Stories

  Book reviewed by Stacey on
  www.whisperingstories.com
  
  Last week I reviewed volume one – ‘Extraordinary People and Fascinating Places‘. In that review I explained that this collection of books is all about the Harry Potter movies (including Fantastic Beasts), and gives you an inside look at the props, people, characters, etc.
  
  Volume two is all about the curious creatures from the films, once again starting off with Fantastic Beasts. The book opens with Newt’s Magical Case, in which the animals that he has helped throughout the world live.
  
  The first creature that we meet is my favourite from that film, Niffler. People often say that Niffler looks like a cross between a Duck-Billed Platypus and a Mole. He may look like a cross between those animals but, the inspiration behind Niffler’s behaviour actually came from a Honey Badger that the visual effects department saw raiding someone’s home.
  
  The second part of the book is all about the eight Harry Potter movies. The creatures are separated into different sections including, Forest Dwellers, Lake Dwellers, Dragons, In Class, Companions, The Working World and Dark Forces.
  
  From Centaurs to Merpeople, Boggarts to Hedwig, the book covers all the creatures from the films, big or small. It even includes the house elves. My favourite elf is Dobby who we first meet in the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as the Malfoy’s servant. Dobby was voiced by actor Toby Jones, who has starred in many movies, including, The Hungers Games and Captain America series.
  
  Throughout the book, alongside the information about each creature, snippets of facts, drawings and photographs are lots of items that pop up, open, lift up or pull out, as well as stickers and a poster at the back of the book that you can remove and hang on your wall. As I mentioned last week, these items are to be handled delicately, so not a good book for a young child.
  
  This book, alongside the other two in the collection, would make a great Christmas Present for any Harry Potter fan, or indeed to keep for yourself
• 
  Carla Simoes

  This is the second book from the Movie Magic collection and it's all about the magical creatures in the universe of Fantastic Beast and Harry Potter. For me it is the first one i read and OMG i just love it!
  
  I'm a huge fan of this universe and i love the creatures so when i see this book i thought i need. In here we get to see curious details about the creatures and about how they where made in the movies, the pictures and images in this book are just breathtaking and we get transported to the universe Rowling creates one more time. One thing i liked a lot is the fact that in some pages we get little surprises like an egg that rises to see the inside, sticker with all the different creatures, etc...
  
  It is not a conventional read and i struggle with myself if i should count it as a 2018 read or not, but at the end i did because first it is a book that i read this year and second it is not so different from reading comics books.
  
  I gave it 5 out of 5 * and i really recommend it to every Harry Potter Fan out there. I will add all the books from Movie Magic to my collection for sure.
• 
  Sebastian Zavala

  It's clearly geared toward youngsters, but that doesn't mean a more adult Harry Potter fan can't enjoy the book. Actually, it manages to entertain thanks to all the details it includes regarding the design of all these magical creatures; the thought process behind each visual decision, and even some comparisons to JK Rowling's descriptions. My only complaints would be that it leaves you wanting more, and that some behind the scenes photos would've been appreciated, especially to accompany the texts that, logically, mention behind-the-scenes trivia. Apart from that, though, it's a pretty solid book; it's a pity I began with volume two, though. Now I have to get volumes one and three to complete the set!
• 
  RumBelle

  This book, like its predecessor, was amazingly beautiful! The book covered creatures in the Harry Potter series, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Each creature was shown in vivid detail. We learned not only about it, from a zoological (or mazizoological) point of view, but also backstage information on how the creatures were bright to life, and what real life animals they were modeled on. The production details were particularly fascinating, for example what went into crafting the look of the Occamy and its egg. The book also contained fun interactive elements such and pop ups and lift the flaps. A wonderful, fun book to peruse. I am looking forward to Vol. 3.
• 
  Lisa Bentley

  Out of the series of Movie Magic books, Curious Creatures wasn’t my favourite. I think I am more interested in the characters and the artefacts than the magical animals but that doesn’t mean that I am not impressed by the effort that went in to creating them.
  
  Zahed really does show you the depth of knowledge and creativity of the people involved in the movies. It is just personal preference that made this book less exciting for me.
  
  JK Rowling’s Wizarding World – Volume Two: Curious Creatures by Ramin Zahed is available now.
• 
  Margie

  Those who love the world of Harry Potter as well as all the various creatures which abound in J. K. Rowling's books will find this book quite interesting. How the creatures came to "life" for the movies through various techniques is shown and explained here. There are many extras included: stickers, pop-ups as well as a poster. This is meant to be a gift book for a personal collection.
• 
  Alex

  This was so much fun to read! It takes you through how they brought the creatures of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts to life, and it was pretty fascinating to see vague beginning concepts turn into what we saw on film.
  
  Plus, I'm always up for any behind the scenes info on Harry Potter, and there was plenty of that here as well!
• 
  Meredith Spidel

  This is such a gorgeous gift book for any Wizarding World fan in your life. It keeps the magic alive with gorgeous detail and insights. Thanks Candlewick Press for sending me an ARC for review--this is a treat!
• 
  Ashley Beery

  For any Potter fan this is a must read. Such wonderful little details about the movies and how set designs went together, inspirations, etc. There's so much to read and see in this book that you won't want to miss out on reading it.
• 
  Julia

  A fun and quirky look at the creatures of the franchise. I also enjoyed learning the animal's real names and about the relationships they had with the people on set. (Like the Maine Coon Cats playing Mrs. Norris that absolutely loved David Bradley - Filch) The pull-outs were fun, too.
• 
  Just_me

  Fab book loads of information. Love the pull outs/posters/stickers.
  
  A brilliant add to our collection.
• 
  Wencke✨

  Richtig schön aufgemachtes Buch! Leider nur 4 Sterne, da mir ein bisschen zu wenig Tierwesen enthalten waren/manche haben gefehlt.😊⚡
• 
  Ghinan

  Well, no one can stop me from loving harry potter and fantastic beast
• 
  Emma Dargue

  Interesting look behind the scenes book about the magical creatures involved within the Harry potter world. Just brilliant
• 
  Munaya Al salhee

  Really enjoyed getting to know more and more about the magic and the hard work that went into the movies!!!
• 
  Manon ter Hoeven

  A nice addition for those who want to read about magical creatures and how they are made for the movies.
• 
  Muggle.reads

  This book is ♥️
• 
  Yulistiani

  Yaampun dapet buku segede dan sebagus ini cuma 17rb dong di BBW!! Jadi pengen ngumpulin companion books harpot yg lain 😂
• 
  Alpbira

  beli buku ini di bbw pas obral, harganya 17rb gila gaksih?! dan isinya sama sekali ga nyesel, potterhead pasti ga nyesel beli ini. Berasa nemu berlian:)
• 
  Alexia Muller

  J'ai appris plus de chose avec la collection Harry Potter au cinéma mais ce livre reste magnifique
• 
  Diana

  Great info about how creatures were created and perceived!