The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter: A Treasury of Myths, Legends, and Fascinating Facts

Sylvia Pantaleo is an associate professor of education, specializing in
children’s literature, at the University of Victoria. She is the
coauthor of Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary
Classroom.

From alchemy to griffins to wizards, this book explores the historical
basis of the creatures, characters, and folklore in each of J.K.
Rowling’s first four novels. In the introduction, the author explains
that he has engaged in a “little investigation, in a spirit of fun.
The point is to entertain, amuse, and fascinate.” He does not
disappoint.

The book’s 53 entries are cleverly posed as questions, such as “Are
basilisks just big snakes?” and “Why would Sirus Black become a big
dog?” The entries are arranged in alphabetical order by highlighted
keywords (e.g., alchemy, hippogriffs) in purple tabs on the right-hand
pages. The succinct and understandable answers to the questions range in
length from two to six pages, and include cross-references. Many entries
are accompanied by woodblock carvings and/or etchings from Egyptian
antiquities. An afterword, a bibliography, and notes for each entry
provide suggestions for further reading.

Colbert reveals how Rowling “creates something entirely new with the
bits of material from which she draws [while remaining] remarkably true
to the essence of each.” This companion to the Harry Potter series is
an entertaining and informative resource. Highly recommended.