The Monster Book of Monsters

The Monster Book of Monsters
Book information
Author	Edwardus Lima
Released	Pre 1978
Subject	Care of Magical Creatures
Copies	Hogwarts textbook

"A vicious guide to monstrous creatures."

— Description

The Monster Book of Monsters, by Edwardus Lima, is a particularly vicious textbook that is used in Care of Magical Creatures while Rubeus Hagrid (who thought the book's aggressive nature was funny) was the teacher.

The book is quite informative, but one usually finds it difficult to access the information within due to the book's unfortunate tendency to try and bite off the reader's fingers. The only way to subdue the book is to stroke its spine, upon which the book opens placidly.

History

"Hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books? Yeh've got to stroke 'em."

— Hagrid in his first lesson of magical creatures

After incidents in which the books attacked each other, the manager of Flourish and Blotts vowed never to stock them again; he found the situation to be worse than when the entire stock of The Invisible Book of Invisibility disappeared.

When students brought this book to Hogwarts for Rubeus Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class, they had to force the books shut with belts and Spello-tape because they didn't know how to calm the books.

Rubeus Hagrid gave one to Harry Potter for his 13th birthday in 1993 as it was part of his requirements for his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The Book attacking Neville Longbottom

Hermione Granger considered this book along with many others as she was deciding on the supplies they would need to take on their mission to find Voldemort's Horcruxes. As she was sorting books, it broke free of its restraints and bit Ron Weasley on the ankle. It is unknown if she took it with them.

At some point in its history, Dervish and Banges apparently suffered a bad incident involving a copy of this book, as their instructions for their closing procedure included "Double check the lock on The Monster Book of Monsters! (you know what happened last time.)"

Physical appearance

In the video game adaptations, the Monster Book appears as a jade-green book with gold engravings. In the films, the book is a grey-brown colour, has many rips inside, four beady hazel eyes and a mouth that bites anyone who tries to open it.

Known creatures covered in the book

• Alizor of Westacottus
• Coco Rumsey Catcher
• Daraliznof Freaazer
• Hippogriff
• Gringwart Goff
• Limax
• Miraf Leldendi
• Nazzle Mumphs
• Shelliferous Drogodflikerous
• Sphinx
• Troll of Nadroj
• Valcore

Behind the scenes

Prop version of the book included with the Harry Potter Limited Edition

• Warner Brothers online shop offers an electronic-plush version of the Monster Book of Monsters. There is also a version of the Monster Book of Monsters available at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter as a novelty toy.
• In the film, the Monster Book of Monsters seemed to have a belt given along with it, rather than the students all finding different methods to restrain it.
• In the handheld versions of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, during Year 1, a group of Monster Books attack Flourish and Blotts, and Harry must help assist in restoring some of the other damaged books with the Mending Charm before he can purchase his first year textbooks. Upon leaving the shop, Harry finds that they have escaped out into the main part of the alley, and must destroy them with the Reductor Curse.
• A scale replica prop of The Monster Book of Monsters is included with the Harry Potter Limited Edition.
• The Monster Book appears as the first enemy and first boss in the GBA version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game). It has low health and can easily be defeated using Flipendo or Incendio, essentially being unlosable fight. When it is defeated, Harry can read the bestiary in the book.
• The Marauder's Map depicted in the closing credits of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) shows a "Book of Monster's Repair Workshop" where presumably copies of this book could be sent to be repaired.
• Most of the creatures included in the prop used in the movie version are not mentioned anywhere else in the Harry Potter franchise, and were made up by the film crew.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book
• LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Harry Potter Limited Edition (Scale prop replica)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault