The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.
The stories are accompanied by delightful pen-and-ink illustrations by Ms. Rowling herself, featuring a still-life frontispiece for each one. Professor Dumbledore’s commentary—apparently written some eighteen months before his death—reveals not just his vast knowledge of Wizarding lore, but also more of his personal qualities: his sense of humor, his courage, his pride in his abilities, and his hard-won wisdom. Names familiar from the Harry Potter novels sprinkle the pages, including Aberforth Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy and his forebears, and Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (or “Nearly Headless Nick”), as well as other professors at Hogwarts and the past owners of the Elder Wand. Dumbledore tells us of incidents unique to the Wizarding world, like hilariously troubled theatrical productions at Hogwarts or the dangers of having a “hairy heart.” But he also reveals aspects of the Wizarding world that his Muggle readers might find all too familiar, like censorship, intolerance, and questions about the deepest mysteries in life.
Altogether, this is an essential addition to our store of knowledge about the world and the magic that J. K. Rowling has created, and a book every true Harry Potter fan will want to have for their shelves.
This purchase also represents another very important form of giving: From every sale of this book, Scholastic will give its net proceeds to the CHILDREN'S HIGH LEVEL GROUP, a charity cofounded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, MEP. CHLG campaigns to protect and promote children's rights and make life better for vulnerable young people. www.chlg.org
Published by the Children's High Level Group, in association with Arthur A. Levine Books, THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD will be available December 4, 2008.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Cute, but short
Comment: I read this book in about half an hour. And I enjoyed every page. Yes it is primarily for children, as the 'tale's are like fairy tales for wizarding children, but I still loved reading them. They were delightful, straight to the point and each had a clear message.
I also enjoyed the 'notes' by Dumbledore after each tale. I thought it was cute and inventive of JK Rowling. Really, she can do no wrong and even with a book that's pretty juvenile, she still creates magic. Literally the only gripe I had is that there were not more of these wonderful tales.
Customer Rating: Summary: I expected a whole lot more.
Comment: The Tales of Beedle The Bard was okay, but I expected a whole lot more from Rowling. It seems that after the popularity of the series took off between books 4 and 5 that she got lazy. Knowing that anything with the words Harry and Potter on the cover would sell, it feels like she stopped trying. I bought this book for completion's sake, and I'm glad I did, but I doubt I'd recommend it to any but the most ardent fans of Harry Potter.
Customer Rating: Summary: Great addition to the Harry Potter Family!
Comment: The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a great addition to the Harry Potter family. On the same level as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages adds in a bit more background information to the world of Harry Potter. Of the three books, I found this one the most interesting. I went into this hoping for some fables and fairy tales and that's exactly what I got. I only wish that there had been more, a nice chunky volume of tales! Now that would have been perfect!
Of the 5 stories, my favorite was The Fountain of Fair Fortune, thought they were all interesting. Enhancing the stories are Rowling's own drawings and Dumbledore's commentary. I think this is definitely a fun book for anyone that loves Harry Potter and a great introduction to the world of Harry Potter for a new reader!
Customer Rating: Summary: Perfect Condition
Comment: The book was a gift, but we look forward to reading more about Harry Potter's wizarding world
Customer Rating: Summary: The Morality of Harry Potter
Comment: For me, the stories themselves are not the highlight of this short volume. Indeed, Rowling's wit and attention seem more focused on the commentaries than on the actual stories, which are a little too short, predictable, and simplistic to represent the artistry which Rowling is capable of. Instead, it was the commentaries which made me miss the world of Harry Potter, as it was here where the humor, irony, and subtle complexity of that universe shines through.
As Rowling makes fully clear in the introduction, these tales are about morality, just as "Muggle" fairy tales are. As Rowling notes, the only major difference is that the balance between free will and fate is tilted more toward the former. In these tales, she returns to themes familiar to readers of the Harry Potter series--generosity, self-reliance, love, and the irreversibility of death (and its corollary: the irreplaceable value of life). This insight into the moral universe of the world of Harry Potter is nothing new, but ultimately it is this moral background that gives the Harry Potter series its appeal to readers of all ages. For fans of the series, The Tales of Beedle the Bard will be a solid if not spectacular add to your bookshelf.
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