This book contains a story and several other things. The other things might be connected with the story, or they might not; they might be connected to stories that haven't appeared yet. It's not easy to tell.

The (very short) story is called Lyra and the Birds and takes place after the events in His Dark Materials. On its own (and even against the backdrop of the trilogy) this new episode seems rather incomplete, like an opening chapter to a forthcoming novel.

The several other things are a fold-out map of Lyra's version of Oxford, a postcard, a cruise ship pamphlet and excerpts from travel guides. There are also small illustrations throughout the book.