Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, Book 3) (MinaLima Edition) (Interactive Illustrated Edition)

I originally did not intend to buy illustrated for book 3, but when this book released, it was too impressive to deny my 4th grader (who will turn 10 in the earlier part of next year), the joy of this illustrated interactive edition's experience.I gave rave reviews for book 1 of this Minalima series this time last year. Book 2 is the weakest in this series so far, we went with Jim Kay for book 2. Now this book has proved to be beyond expectations. Let me list the innumerable best and the few 'could have been better' features of this book, with comparisons to Jim Kay's versionBook #3 while having a relatively more developed and complicated plot line, is still a middle grade read with just introductions to a few dark elements, but the plot still maintaining the innocence of a 5th grade reading level. Hence I found Jim Kay's #3 to dwell a bit too much on the dark parts of the book such as, his overly dark and grotesque dementors and his somber and gloomy Hogsmeade, omitting some colorful and whimsical moments.Let me start with this book cover - The shades of dark blue mixed with the dark pink is an amazing color combo that is so appealing and attractive. Definitely the best cover of Minalima's so far!The illustrations - Even though some of Jim Kay's work in #3 such as Lupin's portrait and his fantastical imagination of elements such as the Magical Menagerie, Buckbeak, and Grindylow cannot be surpassed, Minalima's version of the 'Grim Reaper' style Dementors on Hogwarts express, the merry and colorful Hogsmeade with illustrations of Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks, Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour, The Fat Lady, Professor Trelawny's colorfully chaotic classroom, the Quidditch scenes with picturesque backdrops, are so much more appealing than Jim Kay's portrayal.(We took our Universal Wizarding World of Harry Potter trip after buying this book just a couple of days prior to it, and my son had read 10 chapters of this book for the trip. This edition had illustrations covering all the fun features of the book that it was so helpful to savor it even more when we saw it all in person at HP world).I would definitely say especially the last quarter of the book which has all the revelations, has been done so much better by Minalima than Jim kay. The last quarter action packed parts, as is characteristic of Minalima have so much more illustrations than Jim Kay's, following the flow of the story very well.The specialty of Minalima's book 3 is the interactive elements, they have outdone themselves in this book with their 'beyond imagination/expectation' interactive pieces, and with the smaller illustrative details, even more than full page illustrations. Our favorite interactive pieces are:The Patronus Stag - This is such a vibrant and lifelike pop-up, it feels like the Patronus comes alive!Grim in a tea cup - So unexpected and imaginative!The Marauder's map - This was an interactive element that was already anticipated from Minalima. You can move people as dots on this Marauder's map which is sure to capture the fancy of young readers!Could have been better:Character illustrations - I completely agree with a couple of reviewers who noted that the characters/people have been done in a cartoonish unappealing style. In the first book this style did not matter as much considering that was a 'younger' book and plot, but in this book with the characters developing a lot more depth, often, the character drawings look too devoid of emotions giving too much of a juvenile feel to the book.I have to specify Sirius Black here, he has been done sooo badly in this book! The Lupin of this book is reasonable, he has a distinct look and presence, but Sirius is a disaster here. Especially my son couldn't get over the small illustration on pg.20 of the TV announcement on escaped convict Sirius Black - it was so comical and absurd that it completely made a mockery of the grave situation in the book. I had to paste a copy of an opening illustration of Sirius of the reg edition by Mary GrandPre over it!The Knight bus - A lot of work has been put into the Knight bus interactive element, but it is our least liked interactive piece in the book. The color of the bus itself is a bit off, it is supposed to be purple, but here it's a dark pink. We prefer Jim Kay's more color accurate version of the knight bus.The monster book of monsters - As an adult I felt this interactive piece to be a bit childish, and prefer Jim Kay's even though it was a very small illustration. My 4th grader has no complaints on this interactive piece though.Note - This book is on the bulky side. The interactive elements of this book have been taken a few notches higher than the previous books, and hence correspondingly, they are also more delicate than the previous books in this series. This book requires very careful handling.I would recommend book #3 for age 10, at which stage illustrated edition is not an absolute necessity. But if your child is reading #3 earlier than 10, then Minalima's book 3 is a must! Or if you or your child are those whose favorite in the HP series is #3, Minalima's book 3 is a must buy! Minalima's #3 is definitely a masterpiece!I stick to my opinion that beyond #4, the books(5-7) are too bulky and and more importantly, too mature, to support this format and illustrative style.

The MinaLima Edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is absolutely incredible! The artwork is breathtaking, with stunning illustrations and interactive features that really bring the magic of the story to life. Every page feels like a new adventure with intricate details, pop-up designs, and beautiful typography.As a long-time Harry Potter fan, this edition is a must-have for my collection. The quality of the book is top-notch, and the added interactive elements make it a truly immersive experience for both new readers and long-time fans. If you love the Harry Potter series, you won’t be disappointed with this beautifully designed edition! A magical treasure!

I recommend. Beautiful and unique. Makes a great gift.

These books are incredible! The imagery is what keeps my son interested. We read together and love having these pictures to boost our imagination

This is a beautiful collection of Harry Potter. My daughter can't wait to collect more.

Harry Potter fan here. Love this book. Just sad that this is the last one Minalima is doing it for the series.

I know this is meant for teens or young adults but the art in this books is amazing, love to have this in my collection

I already owned the entire series in a nice hardcover set, but when I saw this I had to add it to my library.While amazon clumsily ships this in an envelope, rather than a box, it managed to arrive intact and without any dents in the corners, by some miracle.Every inch of this is just remarkable, from the faux aging on the pages to the clever popup features and the gorgeous graphics throughout, it's a treasure.I don't have children, and I was 33 when I bought my first HP book way back when, but you're never too old for Magic. This is a gift for the kid in me and I quickly ordered the first two special editions as well. I can't wait to see what they do with Goblet of Fire, as that was always my second favourite book in the series, after this one.If you're on the fence, get it. If you love these wonderful books you won't regret it one iota.