JACKET KNACK

An Abundance of Alices

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll
illustrated by Iassen Ghiuselev
(Simply Read Books, 2003)
(Revised Edition, 2012)

"What's the use of a book," thinks Alice, "without pictures and conversation?" And what other books reveal the talents of an illustrator in quite the way that the Alice in Wonderland books do?

This is the cover of illustrator Iassen Ghiuselev's take on Alice and I must say, I am smitten--and a little vertiginous. See and learn more on his website. You will not regret clicking that link, I think.

I (this is Carol, by the way) just ordered a copy for myself through my local indie and let me just say, I cannot believe I missed this one the first time around.

Next we have a few other versions, some almost as delicious, some questionable. It's interesting to see how Alice grows and shrinks in age on these covers. How very Alice, indeed.

Tell us in the comments which version(s) you own.

Enjoy!

by the legendary Arthur Rackham
(Chronicle, 2002)

by Helen Oxenbury, ditto on the legendary
(Candlewick, 1999)

by Camille Rose Garcia
Collins Design, 2010

by Robert Ingpen
(Sterling, 2009)

A Penguin version (2010), or should
I say, a flamingo version?

Using the original, and awesome,
illustrations by John Tenniel
(HarperCollins, 1992)
This is the copy I own.

Espanol! Alicia en el Pais de las Maravillas:

by Marta Gomez-Pintado
(Nordica Libros, 2009)

by Rebecca Dautremer
(Luis Vives Editorial, 2011)

Can you stand some rather unfortunate pop-up versions?

by J. Otto Seibold
(Orchard, 2003)

by Harriet Castor
(Barron's, 2010)

There are scads of other versions available. Scads, I say! Which versions speak to you?

Bring It On, 2012!

2012-01-16T09:29:00.006-06:00

We have much to look forward to in 2012: The Hunger Games movie, the upcoming U.S. presidential election, the London summer Olympics, and hey, maybe even the end of the world.

But before that, we have a lot of reading to do. Here's a look at some 2012 new releases in children's books:

(Publisher: Golden Books; For release: March 13, 2012)

This cover stood out on the list of forthcoming picture books with its bold colors and mixed fonts. The concept was also intriguing: smiles found on ordinary items. I couldn't help reading more. The Spontaneous Smiley Project finds smiles everywhere, and has teamed up with Operation Smile to help put smiles on faces of children around the world.

In the middle grade category:

(Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; For release: March 27, 2012)

Bright, clean, not busy. The storyline looks amusing, too--a boy who lives in a zoo-turned-reality show.

In the YA department, readers can chose from a million covers featuring faces and girls. Here are a few that are different:

In the dark-and-simple category:

(A Beautiful Evil - Publisher: Simon Pulse; For release: February 21, 2012)
(Dead to You - Publisher: Simon Pulse; For release: February 7, 2012)
(The Vanishing Game - Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; For release: February 14, 2012)

Few colors, few words, yet interesting focus and contrast.

And in the bright-and-fancy class:

(Darkest Mercy - Publisher: HarperCollins; For release: February 22, 2011)
(Incarnate - Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; For release: January 31, 2012)

Faces! Girls! But still lovely and interesting use of color and focus.

What's on your reading list for 2012?

Looking At All The White Stuff

2012-01-09T20:22:00.000-06:00

There's a lot of white stuff on the ground outside, but what about on the book shelves? The search for white children's book covers revealed the following, although I am still looking for a completely white cover (anyone have one?).

A white background certainly lets the eye find the focal point.
(Go on, press it)

Herve Tullet (translated by Christopher Franceschelli)

Published in March 2011 by Chronicle Books

Here the title stands out. Check out the hardcover version which is much darker.

by Christine Johnson (Simon Pulse 2011)

The Trouble With Dilly hangs festive decorations onto the clean white background.

by Rachna Gilmore (HarperCollins, 2009)

White covers have been around for a long time. HarperCollins published Where the Sidewalk Ends in 1974 and kept the white for Every Thing On It (2011).

Ok, one more before I head out into the white stuff.

Enjoy!

Reader's Favorites 2011!

2012-01-02T11:48:00.001-06:00

We asked Jacket Knack readers for the 2011 children's book covers they liked best. Here they are!

Clockwise from upper left: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol (First Second, 2011);
Where's Walrus? by Stephen Savage (Scholastic, 2011);
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (Candlewick, 2011);
Wildwood byColin Meloy, illus. Carson Ellis (Balzer and Bray, 2011);
Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger (Amulet/Abrams, 2011);
No Dogs Allowed by Linda Ashman, illus. Kristin Sorra (Sterling, 2011);
Level Up by Gene Luen Yang, illus. Thien Pham (First Second, 2011);
Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman, illus Beth Krommes (Houghton Mifflin, 2011)

What do you think? I think our readers have good eyes for covers. Thanks, Bigfoot and Julie Larios!

2011 Covers I Heart

2011-12-26T17:43:00.004-06:00

Favorites of 2011--Part Three--Carol's Picks

Queen of Hearts by Martha Brooks
(FSG-BYR, 2011)

Four things that attract me to a book's cover:

1. Originality. How many photos of body parts will it take before the book-buying public and cover designers tire of it?

2. Kid Appeal. Sure, this is guesswork, but I try to choose covers that I think will draw the eyes of children and teens when they browse the shelves.

3. Graphic Appeal. Use of shape, form, negative space, etc. which create visually stimulating covers.

Wither (Book I of the Chemical
Garden Trilogy)
by Lauren DeStefano
(Simon and Schuster BYR, 2011)

4. Cuteness. Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for cute. Can't resist a mouse in a traveling suit. (See Richard Peck's latest, below.)

Love the way Wither's cover (above) incorporates both soft ruffles and clean, geometric lines.

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck
Illus. Kelly Murphy
(Dial, 2011)

Another clever cover from author/illustrator Oliver Jeffers incorporates both depth and whimsy.

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
(Philomel, 2011)

This one (below) is just as visually clean and delightful inside as it is on the cover:

Just a Second: a Different Way
to Look at Time by Steve Jenkins
(Houghton-Mifflin, 2011)

Next year (next week), YOUR favorite covers of 2011! There's still time to tell us some of your faves in the comments below.

Wishing you happy reading in 2012!

Fantasy Favorites

2011-12-20T22:46:00.009-06:00

As I perused the covers of many new releases for 2011, I started to make a list. When I reviewed my selections, I chastised myself for picking so many YA fantasy covers. Then, face-palm... hello. There's a reason I'm the "fantasy correspondent." So, never mind everything else. Here are my fantasy favorites for 2011.

I've been eyeing this one up for a while... wondering if I could work it into a post. The contrast between the translucent and solid body on this caught my attention, along with the shading of the sky and the water. Beautiful!

Published June 7th 2011 by HarperCollins

This one is simple yet eye catching. I love the way the light seems to shine through the egg.

Published April 26th 2011 by Balzer + Bray

I would love a dozen of these roses. (Could someone please let my husband know?) The bright colors on the deep black background draws me in.

Published March 8th 2011 by Simon Pulse

Published June 2nd 2011 by Orchard

No, not just because my favorite color is purple. On first glance, I thought this face was underwater. Then I focused on grass--or hair--or vines. I can't decide what is twisting its way across this cover, but I like the effect.

For some reason, I love eyes on book covers. Are we supposed to see one on this middle grade cover? The elements come together to give the impression of an eye...

Published June 21st 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

I've enjoyed this year in book covers, and I hope you, Dear Readers, have too. Wishing you all a very happy 2012!

-PLB

Rolling Out The Favorites of 2011

2011-12-14T19:48:00.000-06:00

Can you believe we are nearing the end of 2011? Reflecting back on the year in book covers was fun but challenging to pick just a few favorites.

For "cute" my favorite is Little Owl's Night. How can any one resist those big eyes?

Published by Penguin Group USA, Inc.

I can't help but feel like I am floating up in the air whenever I see this cover. And the e.e. cummings style title is appealing too.

Published by Wendy Lamb Books, 2011

The next two YA are favorites because they are not typical.

Great kaleidoscope effect.

Poppy 2011

Does this one remind anyone of a YA version of the Giving Tree?

by Nely Cab, Published by Author House, 2011

My top pick for 2011? That's easy:

Jacket design by Christine Kettner; Sunset image copyright Corbis

Published by Sandpiper, 2011

Send in your favorites! Don't worry, you don't have to pick just one. We'll post them all!

Best of 2011 ~~ Your Turn, Readers!

2011-12-05T04:30:00.000-06:00

As the year winds down, the three of us will be posting our favorite children's and young adult book covers published in 2011. Woo.

But we want to know yours. Double woo!

Your mission: Post the titles/authors/illustrators of your favorites of 2011 (how about the top five?) in the comments here and we'll compile them into a gorgeous, celebratory post in January. Can't wait to see what you've seen!

Fubsies!

2011-11-28T04:30:00.000-06:00

I'm Big! by Kate and Jim McMullan
(Balzer and Bray, 2010)

And how was your weekend? If you live in the U.S., it ~~portly~~ probably meant at least one great BIG meal, I bet. Perhaps this is an appropriate time to ponder the LARGE on our ~~blob~~ blog.

Kids love all things ENORMOUS, so naturally we're seeing lots of plus-size animals on picture book covers.

OK, so technically, Lane Smith's elephant is not a representation of an animal. It is a shrub, I know. But still.

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
(Roaring Brook, 2011)

Cousins of Clouds: Elephant Poems
by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
Illus. Magan Halsey and Sean Addy
(Clarion, 2011)

Have you seen the little piggies?

Bumble-Ardy by Maurice Sendak
(HarperCollins, 2011)

Oink by Arthur Geisert and
many other pig-themed books
(a personal favorite~C.B.)
(Walter Lorraine Books, 1991)

Hogwash! by Karma Wilson
Illus. by Jim McMullan (see also I'm Big! above)
(Little, Brown, 2011)

Mooove it or lose it.

Farmyard Beat by Lindsay Craig
Illus. Marc Brown
(Knopf, 2011)

By Fiona Ross
(Candlewick, 2011)

Porcine pets:

Retold by Margaret Read MacDonald
Illus. Julie Paschkis
(August House, 2001)

by Frans Vischer
(Aladdin, 2011)

Now howsabout a pot-bellied pug:

by Jennifer Sattler
(Bloomsbury, 2010)

And two pudgy buddies:

by Peter McCarty
another personal fave~C.B.
(Henry Holt, 2002)

Feeling guilty now? Perhaps a few sit-ups . . . ?

Winding Down

2011-11-21T09:00:00.001-06:00

“Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. There is no why.”
― Kurt Vonnegut

The year winds down... and so do these covers. Before we pause to reflect on the year, let us pause and reflect on time, as seen in (and on) book covers.

(HarperTeen: First Edition hardcover edition, March 2004)

Look closely...

(CreateSpace: August 2010)

(St. Martin's Griffin: First Edition hardcover edition, May 2010)

(Ronsdale Press: First edition, September 1999)

(MacmillanTorkids, November 1997)

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux: 1st edition, March 2006)

"Time ripens the substance of a life as the seasons mellow and perfect its fruits. The best apples fall latest and keep longest."

--AMOS BRONSON ALCOTT, Table Talk

Dark Days

2011-11-14T19:49:00.001-06:00

November is a dark month, especially since daylight savings time made dusk arrive before dinner time. Thus the inspiration for this post. These covers stand out without the use of colour. Not an easy feat.

The first three centre around the theme of photography and use the black and white contrasts effectively.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children uses vintage photographs throughout to capture the imagination.

by Ransom Riggs (Quirk Books, 2011)

Click is one of my favorites. A strong black frame draws us into the lenses.

Ten Authors contributed to this novel.

(Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007)

by Kimberly Marcus

(Random House for Young Readers, 2011)

by Sheila Kelly Welch (Namelos, 2011)

And a touch of colour in the last cover. What does it suggest to you? Is there hope that the dark days will soon be over?

Have you been drawn to any other book covers that don't rely on colour to attract? Let us know and we'll post some more.

We Have a Winner!

2011-11-07T08:11:00.001-06:00

Thanks to everyone who commented on Patti's giveaway post, "Clever Covers." We randomly drew the winner from the comments, and that winner is --

Bigfoot!

Bigfoot's copy of My Name Is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson will go in the mail, forthwith. Congratulations, Mr. Foot!

More giveaways are in the works. Stay tuned, Knackers.

Scratchboards and Woodcuts: The Work of Illustrator Beth Krommes

2011-11-07T04:08:00.000-06:00

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature
by Joyce Sidman,
Illustrated by Beth Krommes
(Houghton Mifflin, 2011)

If an illustrator would cut wood . .
It's been a while since we've featured a single illustrator's work on Jacket Knack, and it's time we did. High time. I've chosen the work of Beth Krommes, winner of the 2009 Caldecott Award for the House in the Night (far below). More recently, she has illustrated a book of poetry for children, Swirl by Swirl, by well known poet Joyce Sidman. I have a fondness for books with small, slimy critters on their covers so this one drew my eye right away. But there's more, such a tidy composition of swirls going on here--it's alive with motion.
Ms. Krommes works in different media depending, I suppose, on the desired effect. The woodcuts and casein paintings on her website are a delight for the eyes--and I have to say, her woodcut illustrations are better at modeling--creating the full, rounded shapes that give a subject three-dimensional form--than many other artists' woodcuts. Here's just one example of her skill. (This and other prints are available for sale on her site--just saying.):

"Baby in a Car Seat"
A woodcut by Beth Krommes
see her websitefor more information

Pattern and form. She's a good woodcutter. Most of Krommes' children's books, however, are illustrated in a slightly different technique called scratchboard. More about scratchboard here. Here's one example. Again, pattern and form, pattern and form and a nice tight composition:

Grandmother Winter by Phyllis Root
Illustrated by Beth Krommes
(Houghton Mifflin, 1999)

Does it remind you at all of The Little House? It does me.

Below, her cover for the 2009 Caldecott winner! It's easy to see why the scratchboard technique was used for this cover artwork:

The House in the Night
by Susan Marie Swanson,
Illustrated by Beth Krommes
(Houghton Mifflin, 2009)

And there you have it. Well, some of it. There's a lot more to feast on at the artist's website.
Question for you, ladies and gentlemen: Were you already familiar with the work of Beth Krommes? Please take a sec to let us know, using the poll featured in up the right-hand column -->-->

Treats!

2011-10-31T11:27:00.000-05:00

Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich
by Adam Rex
(Harcourt, 2006)

Greetings, eye candy lovers! We have chosen the obvious for today's post: All Hallow's Eve covers. These are all Halloween books in verse (or of verse), yet they differ vastly from one another in style and subject matter. No copycats here--that's as plain as the wart on a witch's nose.

This witch apparently does not know that black robes are expected, and that they are also slimming:

By the Light of the Halloween Moon
by Caroline Stutso
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
(reprinted by Marshall Cavendish, 2009)

Halloween Night positively glows:

Halloween Night
by Marjorie Dennis Murray
Illus. Brandon Dorman
(Greenwillow, 2010)

More clever covers--monsters, ghosts and witches!

There Was an Old Monster
by the Emberleys
(Orchard, 2009)

Three Little Ghosties
by Pippa Goodhart
Illus. by Annalaura Cantone
(Bloomsbury, 2007)

Which Way to Witch School?
by Scott Santoro
(Harper, 2010)

May your Halloween be full of the stuff nightmares are made of.

Slapped Hen Enjoy

2011-10-24T03:30:00.000-05:00

Johnny Appleseed
by Jane Yolen, illus. Jim Burke
(HarperCollins, 2008)

No, this is not a post about chicken abuse. I just wanted to get your attention. "Slapped Hen Enjoy" is an anagram for Johnny Appleseed, the folk hero known for traveling the United States in the early years of this country, spreading apple seeds wherever he went.

What many of us were taught about Mr. Seed is somewhat inaccurate, or so I've read. Hence the title, I suspect, of Jane Yolen's recent picture book biography, Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth. Gorgeous cover painting.

Not surprisingly, there are scads of Johnny Appleseed books out there. (What is surprising is how many of their covers show J. A. striding against a backdrop of countryside.) Here is just a sampling of some of the better known versions, one from each of the past few decades:

1990s

by Patsy Jensen, illus. by Pat Hoggan
(Troll, 1994)

1980s

Steven Kellogg's version
(Morrow, 1988)

1970s

LaVere Anderson, illus. Kelly Oechsli
(Garrard, 1974)

1960s

By Aliki
(Prentice-Hall, 1963)

Clever Covers--A Jacket Knack Challenge!

2011-10-17T09:00:00.002-05:00

(Or, “See the Signs—Part Two.”)

A few weeks ago, at back-to-school night, I browsed the Scholastic book fair and this cover caught my eye:

(Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated: January 2011)

I love that the words are part of the artistic design. Then last week, I was excited to see that Deirdre had also found some similar covers, using signs for her post, See the Signs. I thought I would continue with this subject, but it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

I started hunting for similar covers that incorporated the title into the art. I found a few at the book fair, and none at the library. Even my online bookstore search didn’t produce many results. I was surprised to find this device is not used as much as I thought it would be.
Here’s what I found:

Troy High (Abrams, Harry N., Inc.: August 2010)

Ruined (Scholastic, Inc.: August 2010)

And coming soon,

My Name Is Not Easy (Cavendish, Marshall Corporation: October 2011)

So here’s a JACKET KNACK challenge: How many other clever covers can you find?
What qualifies: any covers that mix the words of the title into the art, as an artistic element. (Covers that were posted on Jacket Knack last week or this week do not qualify.) Post a link to a cover in a comment to enter. At the end of October, I’ll do a drawing from the entrants and send the lucky winner a copy of Debby Dahl Edwardson’s new YA novel, My Name Is Not Easy. Good luck!

See the Signs

2011-10-10T07:36:00.011-05:00

If you were designing a book cover, how would you incorporate the title? Using a sign is one technique to join the two together.

The first two covers give the reader the sense that the character is sending them a message. Holding a sign like a person out of work or hitchhiker coveys the feeling of desperation.

EgmontUSA, 2011

BloomsburyUSA Childrens, 2008

Road signs pop up now and then on children's book covers. The author's name in sky writing is a nice addition.

Jack Gantos (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2011)

Even hungry giants have something to say in writing.

by Caitlin Friedman, illustrated by Shaw Nielson

(Workman Publishing, 2011)

Okay, this cat isn't holding the sign, but it's still pretty cute.

Jacket Art Karen Massier and Enrique De la Osa,

Cover design Elizabeth B. Parisi

Published by The Chicken House

Have fun reading the signs.

p.s. Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian friends.

Autumn Oughta Matter

2011-10-03T03:30:00.000-05:00

Apple Picking Time by Michele Benoit Slawson
Deborah Kogan Ray, illus.
(Random House, 1998)

It's fall in Chicagoland. Time for apple cider and cinnamon doughnuts. (Okay, mostly cinnamon doughnuts, but hey.)

So what about apples and apple-picking picture book covers? Your humble correspondent set out for the orchard to see what she (me) could see.

Well.

(I brush hay off corduroys.)

There really aren't that many notable covers that feature apples out right now (unless you count self-published books, which we rarely do here). There's a gorgeous new-ish offering (2008), a picture book about Johnny Appleseed by the inimitable Jane Yolen and Jim Burke, but that's for another post. What follows is a gala display of covers with deliciously interesting art.

Didn't find many non-fiction covers of note, but this one is golden:

From Seed to Apple Tree: Following the Life Cycle
by Suzanne Slade, Jeff Yesh, illus.
(Coughlan, 2009)

Cute!

Little Apple Goat by Caroling Jayne Church
(Eerdman's, 2007)

What's up with apples and mice?

Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple
by A.H. Benjamin, Gwyneth Williamson
(Sandy Creek, 2010)

Steven Kroll's The Biggest Apple Ever

(author/illustrator of the hugely successful

The Biggest Pumpkin Ever)

Illus. by Jeni Bassett

(Scholastic, 2011)

A New House for Mouse by Petr Horacek
(Candlewick, 2004)

Gorgeous cover here, but of course we expect no less from Ted Lewin:

Eve Bunting's One Green Apple
Illus. Ted Lewin
(Clarion, 2006)

Taffetarium

2011-09-26T04:00:00.000-05:00

Janet Fox's Forgiven
(Speak, 2011)
Historical

There's something alluring about an abundance of taffeta and lace. Lately there have been many cover photos of beautiful girls wearing Victorian dress, wrapped in folds of luxurious fabrics that would have made the likes of Mary Todd Lincoln green with envy. These covers must sell--and I know my eye is always drawn to the images. I think these covers promise teens stories of faraway times and places, romance, fantasy, vulnerability, danger.

Here are just a few samples. All young adult novels.

Beyond the photograph. The designers of the next covers added art to enhance the image.

Note the finger-like roots and magical sparkly dust (is there a word for "magical sparkly dust"?) that set this cover apart. And oh, yeah, the sepia tones.

Chime by Franny Billingsley
(Dial, 2011)
Fantasy

Cool overlaid arabesques just above the title:

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (Australian edition)
(HarperTeen, 2011)
Fantasy, first in a trilogy

I can't explain it, but I find the geometric lines and shapes on this cover irresistible. Is it steampunk-ish? The novel involves genetic engineering. I think it works.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano
(Simon and Schuster, 2011)
Dystopian Fantasy, first in a trilogy

More is . . . more. It is safe to say that very few males will pick this one up:

Entwined, by Heather Dixon
(Greenwillow, 2011)
Fantasy

No Lies

2011-09-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

Carol sent me this adorable cover and suggested I do a spread on Pinocchio jackets. As a result, this week's JacketKnack post will be eleven and a half pages long because there are soooooo many Pinocchio covers to choose from. I found dozens upon dozens of renditions of this little wooden boy. Without further ado, here's Pinocchio...

...circa 1926.

(Thanks to illuminated-books.com)

...with Robin Williams as Gepetto!

(Sterling Publishing,February 2008)

...as a pop-up book...

(Blue Ribbon Books, c1932)

...in the UK...

(Penguin UK, 2011)

and ... en francais!

(Les Requins Marteaux/Ferraille, 2009)

There are so many faces of this lovable little wooden boy.

A modern version:

(Candlewick, 2003)

A not-so-modern version:

(Wonder Books, 1954)

A dark Pinocchio:

(Tor Books, 2002)

Even Pinocchio, the action hero!

(Zenescope Entertainment, 2010)

I can appreciate the many interpretations of this story, originally written in 1883 by Italian author Carlos Collodi. So many variations, so many twists...

But Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer? Really?

I tell you no lies.

(Published by Slave Labor, 2009)

-PB

They Don't Make 'Em Like This Anymore--Or Do They?

2011-08-29T07:15:00.000-05:00

Japhet, in Search of a Father by
Frederick Marryat, Henry M. Brock, illus.
(Macmillan, 1895 or 1903)

Can't.
Resist.

Urge.

To post.
Old.
Fashioned.
Covers.

Please.

You must.
Forgive.
Me.

We're looking head-on at the prow of a ship (above) in Marryat's Japhet. See it?

Hard to believe this next one's in such good condition. Does that mean it wasn't read (i.e. loved) much?

Fred Bradford's Debt by Joanna H. Mathews
(Cassell and Co., 1882)

And who doesn't love a good Edward Lear? This one looks sort of modern in style:

Lear's Book of Nonsense, Edward Lear
(Warne and Co., London,
Scribner, Welford and Co., 1880)

All is not lost for lovers of olden covers! Here's one with a 1930s feel (1940s, maybe?). But it was actually published in this century (had me fooled):

Look and Cook by Tina Davis
(Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2004)

Here's another modern-day charmer :

The Victorian Fairy Tale Book, Michael Patrick Hearn, ed.
Diane Dillon, illus. ???
Pantheon, 1990

Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around

2011-08-21T13:18:00.017-05:00

The first two covers inspired this week's post with their similar layouts. What stands out in all of these covers is the combination of the photographic images, fonts, and art work.

There has to be a term for this top-bottom design with the title sandwiched in the middle (anyone know?). It certainly works to make the title the focal point.

(Tundra Books, 2010)

Great colour on the "wolves" cover, although I'm not sure about the hair - is she in a wind storm or is she falling?

(Viking Children's Books, 2010)

A.E. Cannon (Harper Teen, 2008)

Another top-bottom split, but this one might still be following the law of thirds by having the title cover more than half.

And on the next cover we get it all, the top-bottom split, some layering with print, and even a yoyo thrown in for good measure.

by Beverley Brenna (Red Deer Press, 2007)

The extra art work builds on the photographs and grounds the images to the page. No floating heads here.

Andrew Smith (Feiwel & Friends, 2010)

Yes, this last one is more of a left-right split, but still very cool images. Great choice with the colour only appearing in the lenses.

Jacket Knack on the Road: St. Michael's, MD

2011-08-15T07:29:00.000-05:00

There are many picturesque little towns and communities peppering the eastern shore of Maryland. While there is an abundance of gift stores and nautical-themed décor shops, there’s a serious lack of bookstores--especially children’s bookstores. But I was tickled to find plenty of reading material for youngsters at Calico Toys & Games, in the lovely town of St. Michael’s.

Prominently displayed, of course, is local history. This illustrated story tells of the legend of how St. Michael’s was spared from British massacre during the War of 1812.

The Town That Fooled The British : A War Of 1812 Story Lisa Papp.

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press, May 2011).

Calico’s book section is a smorgasbord of fun for the kids: Brain Quests! Mad Libs! Klutz books! Read-Write-Draw It! And that’s just their book section. Imagine what the rest of the store is like. But don’t let the fun deceive you. There are some definite gems to be found here, too:

Poetry!

Poetry for Young People: American Poetry

by John Hollander (Editor) Publisher: Sterling Publishing, March 2004

More local ‘history’, disguised as a picture book!

B Is for Blue Crab: A Maryland Alphabet by Shirley Menendez

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press; September 2004

And horses! Don’t forget the horses!

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Publisher: Simon &Schuster Children's Publishing (paperback reissue) December, 2006

Our trip to Calico’s Toys & Games was certainly entertaining. They offer a nice variety of toys, games, and books—something for everyone, even for us fantasy lovers: haunted houses, ghosts, and ZOMBIES!

Your Grandparents Are Zombies by Anson Montgomery (Publisher: Chooseco LLC, October 2010)

Haunted House by R. A. Montgomery (Publisher: Chooseco LLC, May 2007); and

Ghost Island by Shannon Gilligan (Publisher: Chooseco LLC, May 2008)

Circular Reasonings

2011-08-08T04:25:00.038-05:00

Round and round and round we go . . .
Shall we talk of circles on children's book covers? We shall! Circles suggest targets, planets, infinity, security, rolling, wholeness, irises, rings, discs. Consider these covers and what may have been the reasons for their circular designs:

Nickel Plated by Aric Davis
(Amazon Encore, 2011)

Noteworthy:

Outside of logo designs, circles are less common elements of design which makes them good for grabbing attention, providing emphasis, and breaking up familiar rectangular blocks of text. ~ Jacci Howard Bear, About.com

Countdown by Deborah Wiles
(Scholastic, 2010)

This clever cover has a circle at its heart:

Bunheads by Sophie Flack
(Poppy/Little Brown, October 2011)

Circles abound on the cover of this picture book:

Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan, Sophie Blackall, illus.
(Viking, 2010)

And finally, a personal favorite, circle-wise:

Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn
(HarperCollins, 2005)

To Chase the Glowing Hours . . .

2011-08-01T10:29:00.001-05:00

I, Emma Freke by Elizabeth Atkinson
(CarolRhoda, 2010)

"The earth is my body; my head is in the stars." ~ Maude

This week's theme: Covers which defy gravity. Feel free to join in with your own lofty cover recommendations in the comments.

Cromwell Dixon's Sky-Cycle
by John Abbott Nez, a non-fiction picture book
(Putnam, 2009)

Flying! by Kevin Luthardt
(Peachtree, 2009)

Willoughby and the Moon by Greg Foley
(HarperCollins, 2010)

The Summer I Learned to Fly
by Dana Reinhardt
(Wendy Lamb Books, 2011)

More visions of the celestial sphere:

Blackout by John Rocco
(Hyperion, 2011)

Cloud Boy by Rhode Montijo
(Simon and Schuster, 2006)

And for a little twist on this theme, how about a "grounded" angel?

The Beautiful Dead: Book One, Jonas
by Eden Maguire
(Sourcebooks, 2010)

More Canadian Covers

2011-07-24T21:21:00.012-05:00

My cousin was visiting from the UK and wanted to pick up some Canadian books for her daughters. It was fun finding some of the latest Canadian offerings on the shelves. Here are some great covers that caught my eye during the search for Canadian content.

A fun font:

Kyo Maclear & Isabbelle Arsenault (Kids Can Press, 2010)

Strong impact with this title, especially with the contrast to the dust road.

(Double Day Canada, 2011)

Speaking of impact, nothing like a few bullet holes to disturb a pretty forest scene. Great way to achieve a layered effect too.

(Candlewick, 2011)

This cover seems simple. But why aren't they pairs of feet? And why are they dirty? And what do they have to do with a hare or an elephant? Any cover that leads to this many questions is likely going to have readers opening the book.

(Red Deer Press, 2010)

Feet seem to be a popular device in covers. The hand written envelop is another nice technique to draw in those middle grade readers.

(Tundra Books, 2010)

Always good to have visitors remind you to take a new look at some interesting covers. What have you discovered on the shelves lately?

Summer Reading

2011-07-18T09:00:00.001-05:00

I love summertime. Summer is the season of reading everywhere: on the beach, in my Adirondack chair, on a park bench, on a blanket in the grass. In my hunt for some good summer reads, I found lots of covers that capture this season well.

Cartwheels on the beach! (Or is that a head stand?)

That Summer by Sarah Dessen (Speak; May, 2004)

Ah, the water…

Tempest Rising by Tracey Deebs (Bloomsbury; July, 2011)

(This is the Kindle Edition cover, which is cooler than the hardback cover.)

Tara Hudson Hereafter (Harper Collins: June, 2011)

Summer isn’t all about beaches and boating…

Keri Mikulski Stealing Bases: A Pretty TOUGH Novel (Razorbill; July, 2011)

… or boys.

Sharks and Boys by Kristen Tracy (Hyperion Books; June, 2011)

*Thanks to Amy Jones for the "summer reading" art!

5 Pretty Neat-o Title Fonts

2011-07-11T11:44:00.000-05:00

Good morning, children's book cover lovers! The time has come for another title font cornucopia. Forthwith, we present a few eye-catchers.

Non-fiction does a typeface proud here:

Spiderlings and their Families
A Fact Book on Spiders by Antonio Calabrisello,
Nadia Turner, illus. (Brolly Books (Aus.) 2008

See also, Turner's companion book from 2010, Snakelets. (Skip if you don't like spiders and snakes.)

Although these letters have some curves, they do give us the sense of squareness. Also note how the wide-apart letter spacing (kerning?) adds to the effect.

Square Cat
by Elizabeth Schoonmaker (Aladdin, 2011)

Bink and Gollie's typeface promises fun and laughs for readers:

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and
Alison McGhee, Tony Fucile, illus.
(Candlewick, 2010)
Winner of this year's Theodore Geisel Award
for a beginning reader

Turn of the last century + outer space. A sort of Jules Verne feel not out of keeping with this novel's 1910/Halley's Comet material:

Selling Hope by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
(Feiwel and Friends, 2010)

1776 in 2011: Fourth of July Covers for Today's Kids

2011-07-04T05:00:00.005-05:00

BEFOREfather ----> AFTER

Assignment: Design a cover for a young people's nonfiction book about Independence Day in the U.S.A. Must use images that are fresh, appealing and inviting enough to appeal to today's kids.

My thinking is that it would probably take a lot of talent to successfully create art for this assignment. You'd be trying for a new approach, a lively look that doesn't come across as dull and dry as a New England primer. Here are some recent offerings. Some work better than others, perhaps:

Amie Jane Leavitt
Kids' Translations Series/Capstone Press, 2009

Lori Mortensen/ Matthew Skeens, Ill.
Picture Window/Capstone, 2009

Catherine L. Osornio/Layne Johnson
Pelican, 2010

Sam Fink
Scholastic, 2002

Alice Dalgliesh/Marie Nonnast, Ill.
Aladdin, 1995

A Jacket Knack Interview: FLUTTER

2011-06-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

Erin E. Moulton's Flutter was released in May, 2011. Check out this gorgeous cover:

(Philomel: 05/12/2011)

Wow, these complementary colors are so appealing and offer nice contrast. The blue makes the orange tones of the hands and the butterfly just pop. And the focus: the butterfly and the fingers are clear, but the hands stretching out behind them give an ethereal feel to the whole picture--as if someone snatched this butterfly out of their dream and brought it to life.

Her editor at Penguin Books, Jill Santopolo, was kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

JK: What inspired you to use the image(s) chosen for this cover?

JS: We were so lucky with Flutter because Erin wove a motif of monarch butterflies throughout the story. The butterflies were so meaningful in the text that when the art director, the jacket designer and I met to talk about the cover, we knew that they would be part of the image.

JK: What other projects are in the pipeline for you?

JS: A ton of other projects are in the pipeline, but I think one that would be interesting to you Jacket Knack-ers is Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey (coming out in December 2011). Check out this jacket! (http://www.marylindsey.com/books.php) It's a totally different look than Flutter, but I think they're both stunning. Three cheers for the Penguin art department!

Thanks, Jill!

For more about

...FLUTTER:
http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399255151,00.html?Flutter_Erin_Moulton

...Erin Moulton: http://www.erinemoulton.com/

... Jill Santopolo: http://www.jillsantopolo.com/

Let's Hear It For The Girls (and see them too)

2011-06-20T19:58:00.026-05:00

A friend shared an article that commented on the finding that males are represented more in children's books than females. Specifically they looked at main characters and names in the titles. (view study at: gas.sagepub.com/content/25/2/197).

Instantly a list of beloved female protagonists came to mind. The question was: Were these girls on the book covers?

In the case of favorites such as Anne of Green Gables, Julie of the Wolves, and even Nancy Drew the main characters were on the covers. But what about others?

I searched the bookshelves and found that it depends. For example, the first edition of Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Harper & Brothers, 1943) there is no sign of Francie on the cover. But the Harper Perennial 2005 version has used her as the focal point (love the mirror image position of the tree).

The same is true for Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. The UK edition was titled Northern Lights (Scholastic Point, 1995) and features the compass but no characters. The Alfred A Knopf 2007 publication has Lyra sharing the cover.

And my copy of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Turtleback Books, 1999) opted for the no character cover whereas the 2002 Harper Perennial cover found a girl to be the face of Scout.

Looking at recent publications, there are some great examples of covers that embrace their female characters.

by Kate Coombs (Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 2009)

by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mike Cavallaro

(First Second, 2010)

Have any favorite books with female protagonists? Are they on the cover?

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything--Blog Tour!

2011-06-13T09:51:00.001-05:00

Know what? Tween covers don't get enough attention on Jacket Knack. I think it's because so many of them use cover art that's about as visually interesting as a bowl of oatmeal. Stick with the familiar, these designers seem to be thinking; stick with what kids are used to.

Then along comes Abigail Halpin, the illustrator for Uma Krishnaswami's new novel, The Grand Plan to Fix Everything, (Atheneum, 2011. Designed by Caitlyn Dlouhy) and we sit up and take notice. Read an interview with Abigail Halpin about the making of this book here.

Dini, a Bollywood obsessed, aspiring screenwriter, age eleven, finds out that her family is moving--to India! But not to Bombay, the Bollywood center where films are produced. Instead, they're moving to a tiny town, the center of nowhere.

Halpin's Dini looks clever, cute and independent, don't you agree? The artist made her fit inside a map of India so that the country's borders create a frame around her. And the hand lettering for the title is a tween-friendly touch. (See an early sketch of the cover, with a different title (!) at Got Story Countdown.

So, I asked Uma to give us her thoughts on the cover art. Did it differ from what she expected? Were there any changes made along the way? Here's Uma's response:

From Uma:

Here's what I hoped the jacket wouldn't be:

1. pink, like many humorous books with girl protagonists.

2. red and gold, like 90% of books with Indian settings published in the US.
It's neither, and I was very pleased about that.

I love the image of the protagonist, Dini. I hadn't planted a single visual cue about Dini's appearance in the book, and yet she looks very much as I imagined her. Rather, it's clear that Abigail mined the text for cues to Dini's personality and energy, and used them to bring the character to life in this jacket.

I also love the map. I did suggest changing Mumbai (the correct current name of the city) to Bombay, to be consistent with the book, in which "filmi people" still insist on calling the city by its old name. The location of the fictional town of Swapnagiri got shifted a bit to make it sit more squarely in the real Blue Mountains.

Finally, I can claim credit for the tangled arrows on the back that reflect the mega movie star Dolly's state of mind! It was my little contribution to the design and I'm happy to say that it draws the eye quite nicely to itself, much as Dolly draws attention to herself in the book.

Read more about Uma and her writing process in this interview with Jessie Grearson at Kirkus Reviews.

Uma Krishnaswami is on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts and she was my second semester advisor--lucky me! --- CB

The Open Road Beckoning

2011-06-07T00:09:00.001-05:00

Motion toward, motion away. Consider images of train tracks, roads, etc. on children's book covers and what they suggest to a potential reader. They can visually draw the reader into the book. They can evoke a sense of running away, loneliness, or hint at an adventure to come.

Clare Vanderpool's Moon Over Manifest (Delacorte, 2010. Read a summary/review.) is an interesting study. The cover of this Newbery Award-winning novel (which I haven't read yet [blushes]) tells us . . . what? Here's a girl in a rural setting who is alone, but perhaps not lonely. She is going . . . home? Wandering away from home?

A forest path converges on this cover, and there is a light ahead which surrounds the young boy's head like a halo.

Desperate Measures by Laura Summers
(Putnam, US Edition, 2011)

We are confident that we will enjoy traveling with Fred and Ted on their excellent adventure:

Fred and Ted's Road Trip
by Peter Eastman (P.D. Eastman's son)
(Random House, 2011)

A journey. Fear? Hope? Anticipation?

Crossing the Tracks
by Barbara Stuber
(Margaret K. McElderry, 2010)

Motion toward/motion away. Conflict, contrast:

Winter in Wartime by Jan Terlouw
(Lemniscaat USA, Translated from
Dutch, paperback edition, 2011)

This sidewalk leads to adventure at school:

Skippyjon Jones: Class Action
by Judy Schachner
(Dutton, coming July, 2011)

I'd like to proudly point out that in the same post I have managed to juxtapose Skippyjon Jones with John Grisham. Here's his latest book for young readers complete with a converging bridge:

Theodore Boone: The Abduction
by John Grisham
(came out today, Dutton, 2011)

What about converging/diverging lines in general? They can be attention-grabbers.

Love this cover for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler because of the way it represents the vastness of the museum, and by contrast the puniness of the kids.

Evocative of loneliness or contemplation:

The Six Rules of Maybe
by Deb Caletti
(Simon Pulse, 2010)

Similar image, thoughtful but less lonely:

Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler
(Flux, 2011)

May your summertime travels be safe and lead to all good things.

A THANK YOU AND AN APOLOGY:

I am most grateful to author Trent Reedy for the idea for this post. Thanks, Mr. Reedy!

I apologize for missing last week's post. Family emergency, but I'm happy to report that all is well now

~~CB

SPRING

2011-05-24T12:49:00.011-05:00

We've just enjoyed a long weekend here in Canada and besides celebrating Queen Victoria, this weekend is also the unofficial "start planting" weekend. I know, it may seem a bit late to some southern friends, but it is the first weekend we can trust (usually) that the frost is out of the ground for good.

To celebrate the planting and blossoming season, here is a bouquet of covers.

by Peggy Collins (Apple Sauce Press, 2009)

by Linda Glaser, cut paper illustrations by Susan Swan

(Millbrook Press, 2002)

Can't you just feel the mud between your toes on this next one?

by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Lauren Stringer

(Sandpiper, 2001)

by Maxine Trottier, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

(Groundwood Books, 2011)

(Red Wagon Books, 2003)

Here's to more sunny days in the garden. Let us know how your gardens grow.

Diana Wynne Jones, We’ll Miss You

2011-05-16T09:00:00.078-05:00

Diana Wynne Jones began her writing career as a playwright in the 1960s, but quickly moved on to be a fantasy fiction author. Since 1970, she wrote over forty books for children and young adults. Her website at http://www.leemac.freeserve.co.uk lists most of them, while Goodreads touts “81 Distinct Works” for Diana Wynne Jones. (Translations of her books are included on this list, as well as short story collections and anthologies to which she contributed.) According to her author page at HarperCollins, “her books have earned a wide array of honors—including two Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honors—and appeared on countless best-of-the-year lists.”

Diana Wynne Jones died on March 26, 2011, after a battle with lung cancer. In trying to find fitting words to describe her wonderful wit, her sense of story, and her keen ability to make the fantastic into something real, I found no better words to use than her own:

Where is the road to Babylon?

Right beside your door.

Can I walk that way whenever I want?

No, three times and no more.

If you mark the road and measure it right

You can get there by candle-light.

--The Babylon Secret

Deep Secret

"I am a believer in free will. If my dog chooses to hate the
whole human race except myself, it must be free to do so."
-- Castle in the Air

"Being a child of Earth means more than you think."
-- The Master of the Hunt
Dogsbody

"They may say money is the root of all evil,
but it always strikes me as the root of
most other things as well."
-- Wilkins' Tooth

"She knew there was a rule about not running in the
corridors, but she was not sure it applied to
people without bodies."-- The Time of the Ghost

"In addition, Master Twinkle seems convinced
that someone is denying him a pair of stripey trousers."
-- House of Many Ways

"Is it a new thought then, to say: keep on, there's always hope?
I thought that was a very old saying."
"Yes, but you're the first person I've met who's
still saying it when he's dead. That has to be new."
-- Crown of Dalemark

Come with me, come with me.
The Blackbird asks you, 'Follow me.'
No one will know, no one will know,
Wherever you go, I shall go.
Come with me. Morning spreads,
Clouds are high in milk effects,
The moon looks like a white thumbnail,
Larks are singing up the dale. The sun is up, so follow me. I'd like us to go secretly
Along for road, across the hill
Where water runs and woods are still.
-- Dagner's song, Cart and Cwidder

Thanks to the Crestomanci Castle website for supplying these quotes, and more.

More information on the life and works of Diana Wynne Jones may be found at:

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Wynne_Jones

The Official Diana Wynne Jones website: http://www.leemac.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm

The Many Worlds of Diana Wynne Jones: http://www.dianawynnejones.com/dwjflash.htm

The HarperCollins Website DWJ page: http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/HarperChildrens/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=15433

Her obituary in The Guardian.co.uk: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/mar/27/diana-wynne-jones-obituary

The art at the top of the page is found at www.DianaWynneJones.com.

Thumbody's Thumbelina

2011-05-10T06:20:00.000-05:00

Sylvia Long (Chronicle, 2011)

I remember our family copy of Thumbelina, a photographed board book with dolls positioned in little dioramas on every page, greatly abridged. Alas, that was my introduction to Thumbelina. Until I saw Sylvia Long's version (left) I hadn't realized what a wealth of imagery the Hans Christian Andersen tale provides. How beautiful and entrancing some of these images can be in the hands of a skilled illustrator!

Andersen's story was first published in Denmark (naturally) in 1835, with the original Danish title, Tommelise. Below is an 1837 edition of Eventyr, fortalte for Børn, in which Tommelise appeared:

Here's a slightly more recent version:

Tommelise (Tiden, 1967)

And there are hundreds of other covers, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've gathered a few of each below, with brief commentary.

Interesting backdrop for this easy reader:

Pretty:

Sweet:

Fun:

But then there's this. The cover says this book is meant for "Creative Character Building." I suppose that's true if the character you hope to build is lonely and sullen:

Graphically interesting version below, but a silhouette doesn't really bring out that Thumbelina charm, does it?

What is she staring at?

Another early reader version:

In French, pouce means "thumb," so this is the little female thumb girl, La Poucette:

Striking:

Interesting, but not particularly pretty:

Too cute. No, really. This is sickeningly cute:

Poucette sophisticate:

Um. Wow, a comic book. So true to the original tale [sarcasm]:

The thought that this (below) may become some child's introduction to Thumbelina gives me a sick headache:

Do you remember what image graced the cover of your childhood Thumbelina?

P.S. Sorry about the silly title for this post~CB

Simply Irresistible: The Children's Book Shop, Brookline, Mass.

2011-05-02T21:13:00.001-05:00

Dateline: Brookline, Massachusetts. This is your bookshop field reporter, once again reporting on what's on display at real live bookshops around the world, with photos of questionable quality!

A recent visit to the cozy, but well stocked The Children's Book Shop near the city of Boston proved a charming way to spend time, with plenty of great covers on the shelves to catch our eyes. Special thanks to Sheryl D. for showing us around!

The Children's Book Shop's wide selection of children's and young adult books offered up oodles of great images, including the following:

What variety! What a great shop. Thanks again, Sheryl!

Going on an Egg Hunt

2011-04-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

After an exciting weekend of egg decorating and searching for chocolate eggs, I wondered how eggs have factored in book cover design.

So I'm sending you on an egg hunt. Grab your basket, head to the kidlit shelves, and don't forget to look under the bed for book covers that display nature's amazing design, the egg. Here are a few of my finds to get things started:

With a shape so recognizable there is no doubt as to the title of this picture book.

Roaring Brook Press (2007)

Great font and colour selection on Tina Matthew's Out of the Egg

Houghton Mifflin Books for Young Children (2007)

I really had to hunt around but I finally found an egg on a YA cover:

by Dubravka Ugresic

Canongate Books (2010)

There is something about Jerry Spinelli's Eggs that I love. Maybe it's the simplicity or the symmetry. Or maybe it's the farm fresh quality.

Little, Brown Young Readers (2007)

Come join in the fun. Send us your egg covers (whole, cracked, scrambled or sunny-side up) and we'll post them.

Happy hunting.

Word Art

2011-04-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Faces: they’re everywhere. Browse the YA section and you get the feeling you’re being watched. A crowd of faces stares back at you from YA jacket covers. If you ignore the faces, you can also find plenty of body parts to look at (necks and torsos seem to be “in” these days), and there’s lovely scenery featured on covers, too. Sometimes, it’s easy to lose the book title in all the embellishments.

Here are some YA covers that focus simply on their title:

Fallout by Ellen Hopkins
(Margaret K. McElderry Books; September, 2010)

Karma by Cathy Ostlere (Razorbill; March, 2011)

The contrasting colors draw the eye to the title, but a closer look reveals profiles of a couple in the scrollwork below it.

7 Kinds of Ordinary Catastrophes by Amber Kizer

(Delacorte Books for Young Readers; April, 2011)

Summer and the City: A Carrie Diaries Novel by Candace Bushnell

(Balzer + Bray; April, 2011)

A clever way to pull readers into a “diaries” novel—the title looks like it’s embossed onto a leather journal.

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia

(Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; October, 2010)

More Than Meets the Eye

2011-04-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

Watching a toddler enjoy a book by squishing, crumpling and maybe even tasting it brings home the fact that there is more to a book than just the words. Of course we all know that. And so do book designers.

Books for preschoolers capture the child by appealing to many senses. The books by Matthew Van Fleet are perfect examples.

Heads by Matthew Van Fleet

(Simon & Schuster, 2010)

Picture book covers often add something for children to touch and feel. This one uses real sparkles.

by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

(HarperCollins, 2005)

We don't outgrow the desire for texture on book covers, we just get more sophisticated with things like UV varnish, foil stamping and embossing. This kind of texture is where real books have e-readers beat.

Harry Potter books don't need much help drawing in readers but you'll have to hit the bookstore to really appreciate how the shiny metallic letters attract your fingers as well as your eyes.

Although the picture looks like a burning light bulb, your fingers will want to do the walking around the embossed spiral when this books is in your hands (Jacket art by Scott Meadows, jacket design by Ray Schappell and published by HarperTeen, 2010).

Some may think twice about touching this spooky face. I like the bumpy feel of the root-like beard. There's also some nice layering with gold foil around the border and the giant even has a jewel in one eye.

by Ari Berk (Candlewick Press/Templar Publishing, 2008)

Have a look at these covers the next time you are at your local bookstore. Then go ahead, reach out and touch one. Let us know how it stimulated your senses.

Simply Irresistible: Blue Hill Books, April, 2011

2011-04-05T21:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another installment of "Simply Irresistible," a Jacket Knack feature wherein we travel the world taking cell phone snapshots (of questionable quality) of covers in situ on bookstore shelves and then bringing them here to you.

This time we find ourselves in Blue Hill, Maine. It was a sleety afternoon in early April when we visited, but a cozy and inviting welcome awaited us at Blue Hill Books, a tiny but well stocked shop.

The kids' selections were downstairs so we tromped on down with our camera to snap pix of any book covers that caught our attention. Despite the limited space, we found plenty of cover candy to feast on, both old favorites and new:

Blue Hill Books provides proof that there's no shortage of local children's book authors in Downeast Maine:

Let's Face It

2011-03-28T11:52:00.000-05:00

Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon
(Aladdin, 2011)

Imagine you are hired to design a book cover for a young adult novel. What should this cover look like?

Marketing wants a face on the cover.

Sigh.

You know faces work, insofar as they appeal to your target audience. We're all drawn to faces. But gads, who needs another cover with a stock photo of some model's face? You want to be original.

Kekla Magoon's Camo Girl features a character suffering from vitiligo, a skin pigmentation condition which gives her a blotchy appearance. So, what with image issues in the novel, a face was a natural choice. But this designer cleverly used graphics filters to create the polarized effect on this cover.

Below, more original treatments for the common face:

Dark Parties by Sara Grant
(Little, Brown, August 2011)

Throat by R.A. Nelson
(Knopf, 2011)

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
(HarperTeen, 2011)

Wee Folk

2011-03-21T09:00:00.005-05:00

Top o’ the morning to yez! Even though St. Patty’s Day has passed, I’m still in an Irish mood. There are two folks to blame: Carrie Jones and the website that gave me this guy:

I just finished Carrie’s Captivate—her third story in the Need series, which features pixies. Thanks to Carrie, I was itching for more fantasy. Really craving it! I hunted around for some more good fantasy and stumbled upon this little leprechaun at http://lifeinthethumb.blogspot.com. He won me over instantly with his pot of “gold.” (I couldn’t find any art credits. So, many thanks to the unknown artist!) This little guy made me wonder if there are any YA fantasy series involving leprechauns. This was all I found:

Lionsgate Double Feature: Leprechaun and Warlock (A graphic novel) by Zach Hunchar, Nick Lyons, Kris Carter (Artist), Jacob Bear (Artist) (Bluewater Productions, July 2011)

Well, not quite what I had in mind. Anyone know of YA leprechaun fantasy? Maybe Carrie can work some into her next series. (Write faster, Carrie!) I did find lots of leprechauns in kids books, though. Here are some of my favorites:

I love the doleful expression in this one.

The Forgetful Little Leprechaun by David Mead (Ideals Publications, February 2011)

And this guy looks like he just won a bet with the devil:

Teeney O'Feeney, King Of The Leprechauns by James E. Tague (Xlibris Corporation, April 2010)

Not your typical green leprechaun cover or your typical leprechaun:

Fiona’s Luck by Teresa Bateman (Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc., February 2009)

And this one is a typical leprechaun, but the surrounding art drew my attention right to him:

Leprechauns Never Lie by Lorna Balian & Lorna Balian & Lecia Balian (Star Bright Books, February 2004)

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

- An Irish Blessing

Cheers!

Middle-grade Duos

2011-03-14T11:00:00.014-05:00

Middle-grade novels often explore relationships between boys and girls which are not easy to define. Here are a few covers that try to depict these duos.

Although Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia (illustrated by Donna Diamond; Revised Harper Trophy edition, 2003) is a classic example of middle-grade friendship, this cover is almost too subtle in depicting the boy - girl relationship that drives the story.

Boys and girls can make great action hero teams. The covers for the End of the World Club

(EgmontUSA, 2010) and The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable (HarperCollins, 2011) both use light as a focal point which clearly highlights the characters and the action.

The next two covers reveal that not all boy - girl relationships are so amiable in middle-grade.

The back to back stance is great for middle-grade, since it suggests hostility but not out and out violence. There's a dirty look on the cover of Bobby vs Girls (Accidentally) (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009) and a picket fence to divide boys and girls on This Means War (Jacket design and illustration by Lucy Ruth Cummins; Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2010). Love the cold war feel of that cover.

We can't forget that some great boy - girl stories are about siblings, where no matter what happens, you are stuck with them.

illustrated by Bob Dob

(Random House of Young Readers, 2008)

These covers do a nice job of suggesting that the big sisters are going to get their little brothers into some BIG trouble. And setting is pretty clear too.

Any covers that capture middle-grade relationships that you loved to read about? Did the cover do justice to the pair of characters and the story?

Graphically Delicious

2011-03-07T04:18:00.000-06:00

Charley Harper ABC's (AMMO 2008)

When it comes to capturing an image solely with line and color, Charley Harper was a master. I marvel at the way he's depicted pure "essence of nuthatch" on this alphabet book's cover. From the Harper Studio website:

In a style he called “minimal realism”, Charley Harper captures the essence of his subjects with the fewest possible visual elements.

You like?

I like.

Stylized images seem to lend themselves well to children's book illustration. Simple, representative, bold. Here are a few others, a feast for the eyes:

Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan
(S & S/ Paula Wiseman, April, 2011)
Middle grade fiction

Along a Long Road by Frank Viva
(Little, Brown, June 2011)
Picture book

Okay, this next one has some modeling with color, but there's still stylization, and anyway it's gorgeous:

The Secret River by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings(1956 Newbery Honor winner)
Reissued with illustrations by Diane and Leo Dillon
(Atheneum, January, 2011)

A very nice review and description of this board book, Look Who's There, can be found at the 100 Scope Notes blog:

Look Who's There! by Martine Perrin
(Albert Whitman, March 2011)
Originally published in France
Board book

The Tree That Time Built: A Celebration
of Nature, Science, and Imagination
Poetry selected by Mary Ann Hoberman
and Linda Winston
Illustrated by Barbara Fortin
(Sourcebooks, October, 2009)

Too bad about the audio CD box in the corner, but whaddya gonna do?

Arrival: Pioneers of Black Children's Book Cover Art

2011-02-28T03:00:00.213-06:00

We haven't forgotten Black History Month--it just took some time to gather information about pioneering black children's book illustrators. It wasn't easy. Good thing there's the list of the Coretta Scott King Awards for Illustration by an African American children's book creator, a great resource, and perhaps the only online source that lists black children's illustrators from the early days (since 1974 anyway).

Let's begin at the point where African Americans first arrived on the covers of children's books. (I am disregarding Uncle Remus/Sambo-type representations.)

In 1962, Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day appeared on bookstore shelves, the first time an African-American child appeared as a main character on a picture book cover in the States:

Viking, 1962. Caldecott award winner

A breakthrough. Yet the illustrator, Mr. Keats, was not himself of African descent.

It seems weird now, but back then the idea of people of color on the cover was a novel notion. Even the makers of the beloved/loathed Dick and Jane series of early readers made a half-hearted effort to portray children of color in the mid-'60s. Just one example--first came this:

A 1962 Dick and Jane: Guess Who Teacher's Edition
(Scott Foresman)

Then three years later, this curious reworking, adding Mike and his twin sisters, Penny and Pam:

1965 Dick and Jane: Guess Who Teacher's Edition
(Scott Foresman)

Mike, Penny and Pam were, quite literally, afterthoughts. Something had to change.

Who were the illustrators of color creating children's art back in those days and what images did they portray? Who broke the barrier?

One such illustrator was George Ford, who won the very first Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration in 1974 for this book:

Ray Charles by Sharon Bell Mathis
Crowell, 1973, reissued by Lee and Low
in 2006 (?)

A far cry from dull ol' "Mike" on the Dick and Jane cover, no?

Here's a cover illustrated by Ashley Bryan, also a pioneer in the field:

Reminds me a little
of a Grecian urn?

He won the Coretta Scott King illustrator award in 1981 for the lively Beat the Story Drum, Pum Pum. (Atheneum)

There were lots more, such as Carole Byard, John Steptoe, Pat Cummings and the Pinckneys (duh!). How about Faith Ringgold? Although her first children's book, Tar Beach, didn't come out until 1991, she had been exhibiting her paintings and textile art for many years before then.

Tar Beach (Crown Publishers, 1991)
Caldecott Honor
Coretta Scott King award winner

It's been 49 years since The Snowy Day. So why are we still having problems with this issue? Is it mostly YA novel covers that publishers seem to think won't sell with people of color on the cover? Your thoughts?

A Trip to Redwall

2011-02-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

“A mouse is small and can go unnoticed: but there is no limit to what a brave heart and a fearless spirit can achieve.” –Brian Jacques

Sad to hear of the passing of Brian Jacques, creator of the Redwall series and many other stories. I mulled over thoughts for a respectable tribute to this notable author of fantasy, but I couldn’t get past Redwall. This is not to say that his other works are not impressive—they are, indeed. There are twenty-one books in the Redwall series alone, and three additional Redwall picture books. Mr. Jacques wrote two other series (Urso Brunov and The Flying Dutchman) and a handful of single books as well.

So many choices leads to indecision: which Redwall cover would I choose?

1987 Penguin, USA; March 1990 Avon, UK;

March 1990 HarperCollins, USA; October 1997 Penguin, USA– 10^th Anniversary Edition;

September 2002 Penguin, USA; September 2006 Red Fox, UK;

October 2007 Penguin, USA – 20^th Anniversary Ed.; or the October 2007 graphic novel version, Philomel, USA.

The transformation of Martin the Warrior in this series of covers is impressive. But then again, so are the works of his creator. Mr. Jacques wrote this series for children at a blind school—he delivered their milk to them daily, and he wrote “as descriptive as possible, painting pictures with words so that the schoolchildren could see them in their imaginations”(1).

Mr. Jacques, thanks for your brave heart and fearless spirit. You will be missed.

For more about Brian Jacques, here are some helpful links:

His official website: http://www.redwall.org/

A catalog of his bookcovers: http://redwall.wikia.com/wiki/Book_Cover_Gallery

And http://www.sullivanet.com/redwall/

His illustrators:

Troy Howell, Gary Chalk, David Elliot, and Christopher Denise.

(1) http://www.redwall.org/: About Brian—The Start of Redwall

Illustration at the top is by Troy Howell.

Illustration at the bottom is by Christopher Denise.

Valentine's Day - Seeing Red

2011-02-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

Looking at all the red covers lining the Valentine's Day book displays made me realize how few red book covers there were on the other shelves. And then I asked "why?".

Let's take a look at how picture books use red. Some use it as a contrast to a focal point, which the following two book covers do very well.

The Red Book by Barbara Lehman

(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2004)

(A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press, 2008)

The next one layers the red but this time it's the title that stands out more than the character. The reader is getting some information though about setting: it's hot and fiery.

Teresa Duran, illustrated by Elena Val (Groundwood, 2010)

In these YA selections, red is being used to the fullest in terms of symbolism. Which do you think is better at conveying the themes of love/passion, fear and danger?

Ivy Devlin, book design by Danielle Delaney

(Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers, 2010)

(Razorbill, 2010)

Integrating the moon into the title of the first book and the snake forming a stylized heart in the second made these covers stand out for me, as well as the red of course.

So an answer to the question "why aren't there more red covers out there?" is that red is an intense colour that carries meaning. It has to be used wisely as it can symbolize many emotions. What do you see (and feel) when you pick up a red cover?

Better yet: Silhouette

2011-02-07T03:00:00.015-06:00

Silhouette image of
the esteemed
Jane Austen

Striking, versatile and fairly non-race specific: the silhouette. The term derives from a certain M. Etienne de Silhouette, an eighteenth century French finance minister who enjoyed making paper cutouts of profiles when perhaps he should have been coming up with better ways to raise funds for Louis XV than by taxing people's windows and French doors. He left office after eight months.

There are all kinds of uses for silhouettes nowadays, in photography, fashion, and even in military aircraft identification. (Click that link. Pretty pictures to look at.)

Weird fact: An anagram for M. Etienne de Silhouette is "the esteemed in outline."

What follow are a few choice examples of recent YA and children's book covers that use silhouettes.

Shutout by Brendan Halpin (FSG, 2010)

Love how the soccer ball is red and white.

Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney
(Little, Brown, release date: April 12, 2011)

Efrain's Secret by Sofia Quintero (Knopf, 2010)

A Most Improper Magick: The UNLadylike
Adventures of Kat Stephenson
by Stephanie Burgis, UK cover
(Templar, 2010)

If it's white, can it still be called a silhouette?

While we're thinking of it, here's the silhouette-less North American dust jacket for the same book (image from the author's website), retitled Kat, Incorrigible, due out in April, 2011:

Returning to the silhouette, little did Etienne know that his eponymous hobby would one day become an ad campaign image for Wyoming public libraries. To wit:

Mud flap girl, reading

Apparently, a very successful campaign. Wonder what she's reading.

Hungry? Bite Into the WHAT'S FOR DINNER? Blog Tour

2011-01-31T03:00:00.005-06:00

What's for Dinner? (Charlesbridge, February, 2011)

Let's talk perspective. Let's talk use of space. Let's talk about the cover art of the upcoming book of poems about who's eating whom in the animal world, What's for Dinner? by Katherine B. Hauth, illustrated by David Clark.

This cover grabs us and throws us into the belly of the beast--or at least onto its tongue--and gives us plenty of foreshadowing about what layeth ahead. Now that's an out-of-the-ordinary perspective. We're also given the sense that this creature's gaping maw extends well beyond the borders of the book. Yikes.

I asked illustrator David Clark for a few words about his work on What's for Dinner?:

"[T]he art was done with Pen & Ink with watercolor washes on Arches paper," Clark explains. "The subject matter was a dream for me. My style and general sense of humor borders on the macabre...... (I assume Katherine is like minded)... So I was a pig in slop with this project!"

We're always asking on Jacket Knack how a cover might work to draw the right reader to it, and this one has a very good chance of succeeding. Beastly teeth, a frog, a fly, they all beckon to that kid with a taste for danger and icky things.

Thanks to David Clark and the folks at Charlesbridge, and thanks to author Uma Krishnaswami for pointing this publisher to our blog for the tour. Happy to be included!

David Clark's reference to style and the macabre makes me think of an article I read recently about another artist with perhaps similar taste:

Incidentally, did you know that Addams originally wanted to name the Addams' son "Pubert," but the publisher demurred?

Simply Irresistible: Bear Pond Books, January, 2011

2011-01-24T03:00:00.001-06:00

What happens when a Jacket Knack blogger visits the children's bookstore? A new blog feature begins, that's what. Introducing "Simply Irresistible"! In this feature, we'll be traveling the world, taking cell phone snapshots (of questionable quality) of covers in situ on bookstore shelves and bringing them here to you.

Our first excursion takes us to Bear Pond Books, Montpelier, Vermont. What covers caught my eye? Behold!

Orangutans are Ticklish by Jill Davis
photography by Steve Grubman
(Schwartz and Wade, 2010)

We don't cover enough non-fiction covers. However, this orangutan was impossible to miss.

Looking for a Moose by Phyllis Root
illus. by Randy Cecil
(Candlewick, 2006)

Vermont and moose. Like peanut butter and jelly.

Thumbelina, illus. Sylvia Long (Chronicle, 2010)

This cover is way more gorgeous than this photo lets on. Thumbelina never had it so good.

Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates
(Random House, 2010)

Simple and sweet. For the youngest book lovers.

Last Song by James Guthrie, illus. by Eric Rohmann
(Roaring Brook, 2010)

The die-cut cover reveals a cuddly nest of sleeping squirrels. Read a review.

Warriors: Omen of the Stars #3, Night Whispers
by Erin Hunter (HarperCollins, 2010)

A middle grade fantasy series starring felines? How did I miss this one? Have you read them? Please do tell in the comments.

Dark Life by Kat Falls (Scholastic, 2010)

Nothing says eerie like a jellyfish. More about this debut novel here.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (Philomel, 2010)

I might not have looked twice at this image online, but in person this cover stands out! Read a review from the LA Times that makes this vampiric novel sound like what the Twilight series should have been.

Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution (Delacorte, 2010)

A twist on the half-face cover meme.

Good Fortune by Noni Carter (Simon and Schuster, 2011)

Hurrah for cover girls of color!

Here's hoping you've enjoyed our journey through Bear Pond Books. Comments encouraged!