The First-Ever Harry Potter Picture Book Is Here! All About the 'Magical' Spirit of “Christmas at Hogwarts ”(Exclusive)

The illustrator tells PEOPLE about illustrating the picture book and being part of the bigger "Harry Potter" world

Just in time for the holidays, the debut Harry Potter picture book is finally here!

Christmas at Hogwarts was illustrated by Ziyi Gao, who tells PEOPLE that she channeled the "joyful and heartwarming" feelings the original books conjure up about the holiday season in her designs.

"Winter always gives me a sense of nostalgia, and thinking of it at Hogwarts makes it feel even more magical. Whenever I think about the winter at Hogwarts, I picture snow falling softly on the castle, Harry and his friends excitedly opening their magical gifts, and having a big Christmas dinner with candles floating in the air and enchanted snowflakes drifting from the ceiling," Gao shares.

To bring the beautiful illustrations to life, Gao got familiar with Christmas in the U.K. and wasn't afraid to reference The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac to get the universe's details perfect.

"My favorite illustration is the one when Harry and Ron leave the table holding their Christmas gifts, and everyone else is having a great time. Hagrid kisses McGonagall on her cheeks, Fred and George are cheering, and Percy gets a silver nickel in his mouth," she shares.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Related: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Harry Potter Costars Pay Tribute to 'Legend' Maggie Smith: 'A Gloriously Sharp Tongue'

"I absolutely love the cute interaction between these characters. They are so alive. I can feel the happiness in this illustration," she continues. "While I was working on this piece, everything came quite naturally because I knew these characters so well that they already felt like my friends."

A Ravenclaw herself, Gao's favorite character is Albus Dumbledore. "He serves as a mentor not only to Harry but to me as well. He offers me profound insights about love, choices and humanity. His character is marked by past mistakes, making him more relatable and human.

Gao is excited for fans to see what she has to add to the Harry Potter universe, crediting the great illustrators of the series that came before her as inspiration.

David Saylor, Creative Director at Scholastic, tells PEOPLE the visuals of the Harry Potter universe began with the illustrations of Mary GrandPré.

"Way back in 1997, when Mary first sketched out ideas for the U.S. edition of the first Harry Potter cover, the working title was Harry Potter and the School of Magic. Later, when it was decided that the final U.S. title would be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Mary and I talked about her creating hand-lettering," he recalls.

"Hand-lettering the title felt like a natural direction to follow: Mary had studied lettering and design, so beautiful lettering was part of her artistic DNA. Why not create something new and distinct rather than using an existing typeface that could be on any book? And hand-lettering could evoke the intricately magical world that J.K. Rowling created, as well as being more distinctive."

It was GrandPré who came up with making the lightning bolt part of the title, a signature part of the branding to this day.

"Soon after, Mary sent a sketch on vellum tracing paper of the words 'Harry Potter,' and it immediately felt right: practically perfect in every way! From the jogged letters that followed their own geometry and logic, to the brilliant touch of adding a lightning bolt to the descender of the capital 'P,' the lettering captured the essence of the books in a way that felt correct, like an outfit perfectly fitted and made-to-order," Saylor says.

"It was incredibly exciting when Warner Brothers used the Harry Potter logo for their films, which then made the logotype even more recognizable worldwide," he continues. "At the premiere of the first movie, I felt a wave of emotion when 'Harry Potter' was projected on screen: the audience cheered uproariously. I teared up, thinking about the extraordinary love fans had for the books, and knowing that the incredible logotype Mary created would now be world-famous."

Gao is hopeful her contribution to the Harry Potter world will be impactful in bringing younger audiences into the magical world. She describes illustrating Christmas at Hogwarts as "a dream come true."

"I've been a Harry Potter fan since I was young, and I started to discover my interest in illustration by drawing Harry Potter fan art in high school. Those early experiences sparked not only my love for the series but also a deep appreciation for visual storytelling," Gao says.

She adds, "Being part of this bigger world of Harry Potter has given me the unique opportunity to channel my creativity into something meaningful and share my passion with others who love the series as much as I do. I hope that through my art, I can evoke the same sense of excitement that I’ve felt for years, inspiring others to fall in love with this fantastical world all over again or for the first time."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.