Books by Their Covers

L. at Jacket Whys invites readers to suggest their favorite children's and YA book covers of 2008. Jacket Whys generally focuses on middle grade and teen fiction, but I suppose there's no explicit limitation there.

Here are some of my favorite book covers of 2008. I should say that I haven't actually read any of these books yet, so the inside of the book isn't influencing my feeling about the outside. They're just books that catch my eye every time I see them on the shelf and make me want to pick them up without even having read the jacket flap or reviews.

Itch, by Kwasney (Holt) - Catchy title; bold, sketchy font; and 90-degree rotated text make me think this is going to be a quirky, light-hearted read.

River Song, by Belinda Hollyer (Holiday House) - Something about the girl's expression of quiet, happy confidence makes me want to know more about her. I'm also intrigued by the carvings beside her.

Highway Cats, by Janet Taylor Lisle (Philomel) - The back-and-forth silhouetted cats have so much energy, I expect an energetic animal adventure within.

Grow: A Novel in Verse, by Juanita Havill (Peachtree) - I love the painterly quality of this cover, so light, bright, and spare. I expect the verse within will follow suit.

Hummingbird, by Kimberly Greene Angle (FSG) - Watermelon = summer = good. I also like the way the stock image is softened by the fun typeface and bird silhouette.

Artichoke's Heart, by Suzanne Supplee (Dutton) - Is it wrong to like this one just because it makes my mouth water? I also like the potential symbolism of the empty candy wrapper at the "heart" of the cover.

Thumbelina: Tiny Runaway Bride, by Barbara Ensor (Schwartz & Wade) - The bold, bright colors and retro design capture me, and, once again, I love the sketchy cursive font.

One Small Step, by Philip Kerr (McElderry) - Among the title, the font, and the image, this cover gives me very clear clues as to what the book is about. But there's a surprise: a boy walking with chimps? Color me intrigued!

Over all, what I can gather from this exercise about my personal taste in cover art:

• I like original art over photos.
• I like silhouettes.
• I like interesting fonts.
• I like clean, bright covers.
• I like food.

What do you think? Head over to Jacket Whys and speak your mind!