Just So Stories

Bloomsbury Australia

August 2025

RRP: $17.99

Oh my! These are just absolutely adorable! I have been eagerly anticipating their arrival.

Each one covers a range of aspects of the given character, with some being common across all three e.g. Magic and Memories and The Last Wizarding Word (notable quotes). Let’s start with Harry!

Harry Potter

ISBN	9781526672605
Imprint	Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Harry’s info starts in Privet Drive but quickly moves to the revelation of his magical heritage, starting at Hogwarts where he makes friends, learns new skills, becomes the youngest Seeker in a century, and finds himself constantly in trouble! There are lovely double-page spreads on Hedwig and conjuring his Patronus. And there’s a nicely laid out page of his relationship with Dumbledore.

This one is illustrated by Natalie Smillie and her style has completely captured the charm, tenderness and humour of Harry’s interactions with his circle including Hagrid, of course, along with Ron and Hermione. Readers will love exploring Diagon Alley with Harry and the peek into his cupboard-under-the-stairs before magic arrives to save him from the Privet Drive dreariness.

Ron Weasley

ISBN	9781526674012
Imprint	Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Ron’s guide kicks off with his and Harry’s first meeting on Platform 9 3/4 on their first journey to Hogwarts. Naturally, we get to read more about his family, his own insecurities (all those big brothers!) and his interests, not to mention his pesky pets especially Scabbers.

Of course, Ron’s role is not just that of BEST best friend, he is Harry’s ‘go-to’ for all information re the wizarding world, having grown up in it. He already knows about chocolate frogs and the collector cards, and invisibility cloaks plus quidditch and dragons. Some special interest pages are a look inside Ron’s bedroom and that terrible incident of crashing into the Whomping Willow.

Poor Ron is not without his magical mishaps and that broken wand was a big problem. The illustrator for this one is Olia Muza and while I do like her ‘looser’ style of cartoon, which somehow fits the Weasley family vibe very well, I feel like she made Ron even plainer than he is actually – poor Ron!

Hermione Granger

ISBN	9781526674029
Imprint	Bloomsbury Children’s

And so we come to Hermione and this one is full of all the quirks that make the smartest witch for her age so special (and often annoying). Her bossiness from the very start on that first trip to Hogwarts and her subsequent command of every class she’s in.

Her perpetual nose-in-book and prissy sniffing over rule-breaking – until, at least, it’s she who starts the infringements. Her constant retreat to the library (Yayy!) and her passionate attachment to Crookshanks, along with her infallible ability to pull out the exact right spell for any occasion.

Despite her being practically perfect, she does have her own magical mishaps, perhaps the most amusing being the unfortunate incident of the wrong hair added to her dose of Polyjuice Potion! The illustrator for this one is Laura Proietti and while I do like much of it, I feel that we are so very used to seeing a much sleeker Hermione, that this one, who is definitely on the pudgy and plain side,doesn’t quite fit with my own interpretation (which I freely admit is heavily influenced by Emma Watson).

All in all, this series is bound to be a real hit with any Potterheads, like myself, and makes me miss my own group of devotees – we would have had such fun book-talking these. I’m looking forward very much to seeing the Dumbledore and Luna volumes, which will be heading our way in February. Your kiddos who are not yet up to reading the novels, or even the first one, or are just getting interested will really enjoy these. I would suggest 7/8 years upwards would be perfect. Yes, it is a magical 5 🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄 rating from this Hufflepuff.