Harry Potter, as with most adolescents, is getting a new look on his 15th birthday.
At least, the book covers are, if not the young wizard.
Scholastic, the franchise's U.S. publisher, unveiled on Wednesday a new cover for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," the first of seven new covers for each book in the series. They will debut in September 2013 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the first book's publication.
The covers, designed by artist Kazu Kibuishi, will commemorate distinct scenes in each book.
"The Harry Potter covers by Mary GrandPré are so fantastic and iconic," Kibuishi said in a statement. "When I was asked to submit samples, I initially hesitated because I didn't want to see them reinterpreted! However, I felt that if I were to handle the project, I could bring something to it that many other designers and illustrators probably couldn't, and that was that I was also a writer of my own series of middle grade fiction."
Scholastic also announced that in November, the company will release the first boxed set of the complete "Hogwarts Library" in the U.S., including "Quidditch Through the Ages," "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," and "The Tales of Beedle the Bard".
"The brilliant artist Kazu Kibuishi offers his unique vision of the world of Harry Potter," Ellie Berger, president of Scholastic Trade Publishing, said in a statement, "making each cover an incredible adventure that will transport new readers just discovering Harry Potter for the first time directly into the rich world of J.K. Rowling's imagination."
