Beautiful Books
recommended by our editors
Last updated: December 13, 2025
See also: Coffee Table Books
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1
The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition
by Ursula Le Guin and illustrated by Charles Vess -
2
The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Boxed Set: Illustrated Edition
by JRR Tolkien and illustrated by Alan Lee -
3
His Dark Materials I: Northern Lights (full-colour illustrated edition)
by Philip Pullman and illustrated by Chris Wormell -
4
The Last Hero
by Terry Pratchett and illustrated by Paul Kidby -
5
The Complete Chronicles of Narnia
by C.S. Lewis and illustrated by Pauline Baynes
The Most Beautifully Illustrated Fantasy Novels, recommended by Sylvia Bishop
The Most Beautifully Illustrated Fantasy Novels, recommended by Sylvia Bishop
Fantasy classics often have a myth-like quality that lends itself to beautiful, carefully crafted editions, explains our fantasy editor Sylvia Bishop. She introduces five key examples – from hand-produced wood-engravings to the re-colouring of a lifetime’s work, these books are labours of love.
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1
Art Work: On the Creative Life
by Sally Mann -
2
Knife Woman: the Life of Louise Bourgeois
by Marie-Laure Bernadac -
3
Art in a State of Siege
by Joseph Leo Koerner -
4
Sight Lines: Women and Art in Aotearoa
by Kirsty Baker -
5
Nigerian Modernism
by Osei Bonsu -
6
The Joinery Compendium: Learning from Traditional Woodworking
by Daniel Pauli & Sascha Bauer
Beautiful Books of 2025, recommended by Romas Viesulas
Beautiful Books of 2025, recommended by Romas Viesulas
The art of bookmaking is alive and well. Which art, architecture, design and photography books have we added to our library in 2025? Romas Viesulas, art & architecture editor at Five Books, takes us through his personal choice of beautiful reference books to add visual and conceptual interest to any well-appointed bookshelf.
Special Edition Books
Publishers regularly bring out special edition books to entice readers to buy a copy of a book they already own. Often, these are books that are either literary classics or more recent bestsellers with a cult following. Here, we’ve collected together five special editions that have come out recently. These are books that have been recommended on Five Books and are well worth reading.
Five Beautiful Editions of Classic Novels
Some of the best novels ever written are also available in beautiful editions. Here we’ve selected five of our favourites, from the Jane Austen novel that many critics consider her best work to the novel of small-town provincial life that is highly rated by many philosophers.
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1
Birds: Explore Their Extraordinary World
Miranda Krestovnikoff, Angela Harding (illustrator) -
2
Glow: The Wild Wonders of Bioluminescence
Jennifer N. R. Smith, Dr. Edith Widder (consultant) -
3
Mountain of Fire: Into the Heart of Volcanoes
Julie Roberge, Aless MC (illustrator), translated by Charles Simard -
4
Ben Rothery's Deadly and Dangerous Animals
by Ben Rothery -
5
Botanicum
by Kathy Willis & Katie Scott (illustrator)
Beautiful Science Books for 9-12 Year Olds, recommended by Our Children's Editor
Beautiful Science Books for 9-12 Year Olds, recommended by Our Children's Editor
Nonfiction books for 9-12 year olds can be just as fun for adults as for kids, especially when they are beautifully illustrated. Here, our Children’s Editor picks science books for 9-12 year olds that are not only informative, but also beautiful works of art.
The Most Beautifully Illustrated Children’s Books, recommended by Ella Beech
What makes a picture book book stand out? Ella Beech, the artist who has just completed a beautiful new edition of The Night Before Christmas for the Folio Society, talks us through some of her favourite illustrated books for kids.
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1
Return of the Native (Illustrated)
by Clare Leighton (illustrator) & Thomas Hardy -
2
Moby Dick (Illustrated)
by Herman Melville & Rockwell Kent (illustrator) -
3
Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights (Illustrated)
by Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë & Fritz Eichenberg (illustrator) -
4
Persuasion (Illustrated)
by Jane Austen & Joan Hassall (illustrator)
The Best Illustrated Novels, recommended by Rosalind Parry
The Best Illustrated Novels, recommended by Rosalind Parry
The craze of the 1930s and 1940s was for beautifully illustrated editions of the great Victorian novels, affordably priced to take pride of place in a middle-class home. Lecturer and author Rosalind Parry recommends five outstanding editions whose illustrations are as striking as their stories.
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1
A Seed Is Sleepy
by Dianna Aston & Sylvia Long (illustrator) -
2
How Colour Works
by Catherine Barr & Yuliya Gwilym (illustrator) -
3
Bright in the Night
by Lena Sjöberg -
4
The Big Book of Bugs
by Yuval Zommer -
5
Creatures of the Deep: The Pop-Up Book
by Ernst Haeckel & Maike Biederstädt (paper engineer)
Beautiful Science Books for 4-8 Year Olds, recommended by Our Children's Editor
Beautiful Science Books for 4-8 Year Olds, recommended by Our Children's Editor
Scientific picture books provide an enjoyable way for kids to explore different fields of science without realising how much they are learning. Our Children’s Editor picks science books for kids age 4-8 that are informative but also a pleasure to look at, both for children and for the adults that are reading with them.
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1
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (illustrated edition)
J.K. Rowling & MinaLima (illustrators) -
2
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by J.K. Rowling & Levi Pinfold (illustrator) -
3
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
J.K. Rowling & Chris Riddell (illustrator) -
4
Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature
by Natural History Museum -
5
Harry Potter: A History of Magic
by British Library
The Best Illustrated Harry Potter Books, recommended by Our Children's Editor
The Best Illustrated Harry Potter Books, recommended by Our Children's Editor
Entering the magical world of Harry Potter is a wonderful gift for any child, and finding a beautiful edition can be an important part of the journey. Here, our Children’s Editor selects personal favourites among the most beautiful Harry Potter books and recommends the best gift editions.
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1
The Little Prince
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry & translated by Katherine Woods -
2
The Annotated Alice
by Lewis Carroll & Martin Gardner (Editor) -
3
Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H Papadimitriou -
4
The Way of Nature (The Illustrated Library of Chinese Classics)
by Zhuangzi (aka Chuang Tzu), C. C. Tsai (illustrator) and Brian Bruya (translator) -
5
The Philosopher Queens: The lives and legacies of philosophy's unsung women
by Lisa Whiting & Rebecca Buxton
The Best Illustrated Philosophy Books, recommended by Helen De Cruz
The Best Illustrated Philosophy Books, recommended by Helen De Cruz
Philosophy is a very verbal discipline with much effort made to express meaning through the very precise use of language. You might think that pictures wouldn’t get much of a look in, but you’d be wrong, as philosopher Helen de Cruz explains. She chooses five books where the philosophical meaning of the subjects under investigation are given greater depth and clarity with the use of illustrations, from ancient Chinese philosophy through to the philosopher queens of the 21st century.
