Cover art

The cover for each Harry Potter book possess a similar style. The British publisher Bloomsbury does books in both adult and children's editions, with the adult edition depicting a particular object or place in the cover, and the children's one featuring a major event in the book. Bloomsbury has used several illustrators for their children's covers. The covers by American publisher Scholastic usually depict an amalgalm of objects and people from the book against a common backdrop; the art on all American editions is by Mary GrandPré. The cover art and design of either the British children's edition or the American edition is re-used on many, but not all, international editions of the books.

British covers
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

The cover of the children's edition, drawn by Thomas Taylor, depicts Harry Potter staring at the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 3/4.The original Bloomsbury back cover includes a rather bizarre-looking figure (whose face also adorns the spine), which does not match any character in the book, although fans have speculated that it is supposed to represent either Dumbledore or Nicolas Flamel. After a few editions, the back cover was changed with a new image, this time clearly identifiable as Dumbledore, even holding a Put-Outer.

The original adult edition has the Hogwarts Express. The second adult edition depicts the Philosopher's Stone. The Signature edition has two Wizard's Chess pieces (a Queen and a Knight) in combat.

American covers
All art by Mary GrandPré.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone The cover shows a Nimbus-riding Harry (in Muggle attire) about to catch the Golden Snitch, with other Quidditch players in the far distant background. Hogwarts castle appears behind Harry and the columns through which he is flying, and Fluffy's three vicious heads are visible in an opening in the castle wall. In the distance the forest's pointed pine trees mirror the pointed towers of the castle, while a unicorn gallops by. The back cover has an owl and Dumbledore. The front flap has a mysterious candle-holding figure coming behind the curtain.

The alternate paperback edition has a figure walking into the woods. The Tenth Anniversary Edition has Harry looking into the Mirror of Erised. The School Market Edition has Harry getting his wand in Ollivander's Wand Shop with Hagrid and Ollivander.

Danish covers
The Danish translations of the books, published by Gyldendal, have been published with at least three cover designs. The original design had inset illustrations by Per Jørgensen. A second design used the same illustrations as the full cover, along with the familiar Harry Potter logo. A third design, to date used only on the first four volumes, has banners of a single colour across the top half of the cover and symbolic art on the lower half.

Dutch covers
The Dutch translations of the books are published jointly by Uitgeverij De Harmonie (in the Netherlands) and Standaard Uitgeverij (in Belgium). The cover art was created by Ien van Laanen and the covers were designed by Anne Lammers.

French covers
The French translations of the books, published by Éditions Gallimard, have cover art by Jean-Claude Götting. Götting initially painted front covers only for the first three volumes, and full (front and back) cover art for later volumes; the publishers later commissioned him to repaint the first three covers in full. The covers for most books have Harry and friends in Hogwarts uniform - exceptions being Goblet of Fire, where he wears his Triwizard Tournament robes, and Deathly Hallows, where he wears a simple jacket.

Swedish covers
The Swedish translations of the books are published by Tiden. The cover art was created by Alvaro Tapia.

Other books
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The original edition's cover was designed to look like Harry Potter's copy of the book, with a sticker featuring his signature, and claw gashes over the cover material. The 2009 edition has a painting of Hogwarts' coat of arms with the animals escaping the frame.