U.S. 'Deathly Hallows' cover
U.S. 'Deathly Hallows' cover

Cover art for 'Deathly Hallows' revealed

  March 28, 2007 at 7:31 AM ET
  Geri     HPANA
  harry potter and the deathly hallows, hpdh, deathly hallows, scholastic, bloomsbury


Earlier this morning the cover art for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was revealed on the 'Today Show.' Both Bloomsbury and Scholastic web sites have been updated with the art.

You can see the British covers hereopens in new window and a large image of the adult version hereopens in new window.

The cover illustration for thechildren's edition is by Jason Cockcroft, who drew the cover illustrations for the previous two Harry Potter books: Harry Potter and the Order of the PHoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The cover design for the adult edition is from a photograph by Michael Wildsmith, who has photographed all the adult edition jackets.

The inside flap of the British children's edition reads:

Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety, and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him!

In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectactular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again.

The back of the adult edition reads:

Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with?

Scholastic has an interactive version of the cover hereopens in new window.

According to Scholastic’sopens in new window Vice President and Creative Director, David Saylor (who has designed all the covers):

The front cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows features a dramatic sky of oranges and golds. It depicts 17-year-old Harry with arm outstretched, reaching upward. The structures around Harry show evident destruction and in the shadows behind him, we see outlines of other people.

For the first time the cover is a wrap-around. On the back cover spidery hands are outstretched towards Harry. Only when the book is opened does one see a powerful image of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, his glowing red eyes peering out from his hood.

You can view the reveal of the cover hereopens in new window (Quicktime) or download hereopens in new window (Windows Media, remember to right click & save target as ...). You can now also watch the video on the MSNBC web siteopens in new window, thanks Hannah.

Canadian publishers, Raincoast Books, have updatedopens in new window their web site with the artwork as well as options for pre-ordering the book.

You can see all the covers hereopens in new window in our gallery.

UPDATE: CBBCNewsround reportsopens in new window that the British version of Deathly Hallows will be 608 pages long, the second longest after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

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