The Tales of Beedle the Bard

This was a quick one. Just over 100 pages long (and double-spaced, and thick-margined, and plenty-illustrated), this Harry Potter spin-off took half an hour to complete at most. It's a collection of five short fairy tales from the wizarding world of J. K. Rowling and ensuing commentary on each tale by the grand wizard Dumbledore. I was impressed by Rowling's ability to create five brief little stories that very much felt like traditional fairy tales. The majority of them were enjoyable and none were a drag by any means. Simple as they were, each conveyed some kind of moral or lesson just like any real fairy tale or fable. One negative I need to address is Dumbledore's commentary. It took up half of the book and really didn't add anything. I suppose the Harry Potter franchise is aimed at kids just as much as adults, but I really didn't need a fictional character to hold my hand throughout the book and explain to me what the morals of the stories were. But that's really the only thing that detracts from this brief little spin-off. Best of all, while I was quick to initially dismiss the book as a cash cow ploy by an already rich-as-fuck Rowling, I found out later that all profits made by The Tales of Beedle the Bard went to children's charities. Good. If that's the case, J. K. Rowling can keep the spin-offs coming. I won't buy them (I did not buy this one), but I'll support their presence and sales all the same.