I can’t think of a single product since the original seven books that has been more of a must-have for fans than the Illustrated Editions.

Scholastic and Bloomsbury are well on their way to republishing the entire Harry Potter series in an illustrated format. On October 4 they released the J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in which Harry comes face-to-face with Tom Riddle, Horcruxes, House Elves, and so much more.

Illustrator Jim Kay once again delights and surprises the reader. Turning each page in the book is a pleasure, as you never know what you’ll never see next.

Some of my favorite illustrations in this one: Dobby’s bare ass running down the stairs (Who ever expected to see his butt?), Mrs. Weasley thoughtfully reviewing Ron’s Hogwarts checklist, another four pages of Diagon Alley (Sorcerer’s Stone had four pages too), Hermione as a black cat when the Polyjuice Potion goes wrong, and perhaps the most stunning: Harry entering Tom Riddle’s memory.

I love Jim Kay’s work. How did Scholastic, Bloomsbury, and J.K. Rowling get so lucky? His illustrations live up to the groundwork first laid by U.S. illustrator Mary GrandPre. Kay’s work, in my opinion, represents J.K. Rowling’s original vision better than any work seen since the original books.

Chamber of Secrets’ Illustrated Edition comes to life for many reasons including a few dramatic visual changes. For example, pages change to white text on a black background when Harry accidentally enters Knockturn Alley. This switch is employed more often in the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition than it was in Sorcerer’s Stone, and it greatly adds to the reading experience.

One issue I noticed is that there are a few less illustrations in Chamber of Secrets than there are in Sorcerer’s Stone despite the second book having a few more pages. I counted roughly 98 illustrations in Sorcerer’s Stone and 82 illustrations in Chamber of Secrets, though Scholastic claims 115 illustrations for the latter in a press release. (The publishers and I have different definitions of a single illustration.)

With Book 1 you couldn’t go more than two or three pages without seeing an illustration, whereas with Book 2 you occasionally go three or four pages. I can’t help but worry that the illustration-per-page ratio will become less impressive as the books grow longer.

I hope Scholastic and Bloomsbury give Jim Kay the amount of time he needs to complete each book with as many illustrations as needed. Prisoner of Azkaban is currently scheduled for an October 2017 release despite it being longer than Book 2. Fine, but I’d like to wait two years between Prisoner of Azkaban and the lengthy Goblet of Fire if it means we get at least one illustration for every two or three pages, as we do in Sorcerer’s Stone.

The publishers only have one chance to get these right — don’t screw it up!

Those concerns aside, the the Illustrated Editions are indisputable must-haves for all Harry Potter fans. Unlike the various new editions the publishers have released over the years that only feature new covers, the Illustrated Editions are entirely new interpretations of the Harry Potter series that are a blast to page through and look stunning on your shelf. What’s not to love for longtime Potterheads?

Those who grew up with Harry Potter have the opportunity to read or present these books to new generations, and both groups of readers have their own reasons to read them. The new reader gets a freshly printed copy of Harry Potter in a unique format. For the old reader, the story they fell in love with conjures brand new magic.