Meet the illustrator of Harry Potter series
Can you imagine being one of the very first people on the planet to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final novel in the series by J.K. Rowling? Mary GrandPre, the illustrator for the American editions of the books, doesn't have to imagine, she is one of the lucky few. Reading the book is just part of her job. We caught up with GrandPre by phone to ask her about saying goodbye to Harry and hello to a new chapter in her own life. GrandPre, who lives in Sarasota, Florida, says she got the manuscript for Book Seven in January. That means she's known how the story ends for about six months. Is it hard to keep the secret? Do friends, family members or kids at bookstore signings press her for details? "Not really so much," GrandPre says. "I think people just know that I can't talk about it." One question GrandPre does get a lot is: "Who's your favorite character?" "Besides Harry, I would say Hagrid is my favorite character,...