The cover of the highly anticipated Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling's sixth Harry Potter book due in stores on July 16th was released today by Scholastic Publishing.

Once again, the stunning cover of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was created by Mary GrandPre, the acclaimed illustrator of all five previous U.S. editions of the Harry Potter books.

The cover of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is drawn in tones of eerie greens with purple shadows incorporated into the background. It depicts 16-year-old Harry looking very attentive and Dumbledore with his hand extended as they look into a basin from which a mysterious green light is emanating.

Commenting the process of creating the cover of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, artist said: “I try to bring a certain amount of realism and believability to the characters and setting, but still add an element of wonder and the unknown," said Mary GrandPre.

"For the cover of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the mood of the art is truly eerie. I wanted the colors to be strong and I chose upward lighting and dramatic shadows to convey a kind of surreal place and time. It is an honor to illustrate for such an amazing writer as J.K. Rowling. She gives me, as an illustrator, so much to work with."

All five Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as well as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, have been number one bestsellers in the United States, Britain, and around the world. 

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