Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by J.K. Rowling





The Quick Synopsis
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, mentioned in the final Harry Potter novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is a collection of five stories for young magical children, much like the fairy tales we Muggles tell our own children. Translated by Hermione Granger, The Tales also include commentary and notations by Albus Dumbledore, which were found among his effects after his untimely death.

Whether there was ever a washerwoman who was able to transform into a rabbit is open to doubt; however, some magical historians have suggested that Beedle modeled Babbitty on the famous French sorceress Lisette de Lapin, who was convicted of witchcraft in Paris in 1422. To the astonishment of her Muggle guards, who were later tried for helping the witch to escape, Lisette vanished from her prison cell the night before she was due to be excuted. Although it has never been proven that Lisette was an Animagus who managed to squeeze throught the bars of her cell window, a large white rabbit was subsequently seen crossing the English Channel in a cauldron with a sail fitted to it, and a similar rabbit later became a trusted advisor at the court of King Henry VI.*
*This may have contributed to that Muggle King's reputation for mental instability.
Albus Dumbledore commentary on "Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump."
from The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by J.K. Rowling

The Literary Criticism
Let's be honest: what is there to criticize? It's another piece of the Harry Potter phenomenon that will appeal to any fan of the series. Children who are Harry Potter fans will likely enjoy the Beedle Bard's tales, while adults will find Dumbledore's notations more interesting.

The Recommendation
For anyone who has collected the Harry Potter series, I would recommend this volume if for no other reason than to round out your collection.

If you're not a collector of the books, this little "extra" is not going to enhance the series or provide any additional insight into Harry.

If you've never read the Harry Potter series (is there anyone left out there?), then I honestly cannot think of any reason you might want to pick up this book.

A photo of the original Tales of the Beedle Bard, handwritten by
J.K. Rowling. Sold at auction for a cool $4 million.
No, really. I'm not making this up.

*A Note Regarding the Publisher: The Tales of Beedle the Bard is published by the Children's High Level Group, which is a registered charity. All net proceeds from the sale of this novel will be donated to The Children's Voice campaign, which champions children's rights across Europe.

Title: The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Author: J.K. Rowling
ISBN-13: 978-0545128285
107 pages
Publisher: Children's High Level Group
Date: December 4, 2008


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