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Go Ahead, Judge These 5 Gorgeous Picture Books by Their Covers
Despite the famous saying, how often are we let down by a book’s cover? We see a beguiling book jacket, do a double take, and grasp the book in our eager mitts. Then, we turn the page. And…after a few minutes of scanning the text, we grumble and sigh. The book doesn’t hold a candle to its cover! How can such a terrible book have such a lovely cover?
Happily, a great cover sometimes graces a great book. This is the case for each of the marvelous picture books below. Go on and judge these books by their covers. They prove themselves worthy!
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House Held Up by Trees, by Ted Kooser and Jon Klassen
House Held Up by Trees is an ode to love, loss, and nature. Penned by Ted Kooser, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, the book centers around a family of three, a father and his two children.
The father fastidiously cares for his family’s house and lawn. Not an inch of his land is given over to nature. But time passes, the children grow up, and the house is abandoned—left to the trees. But instead of destroying the house, as the father had feared, the trees lift up the house and protect it from damage and misuse.
A lovely and lyrical work, Kooser’s book is perfectly accompanied by the illustrations of Jon Klassen. Klassen is a stellar author in his own right, best known for I Want My Hat Back.
Love Is: (Illustrated Story Book about Caring for Others, Book About Love for Parents and Children, Rhyming Picture Book)
Diane Adams
5
Hardcover
$16.99
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Love Is, by Diane Adams and Claire Keane
This book’s charming cover introduces an equally charming story. Diane Adams’s picture book follows a young girl and her feathered friend, a lost duckling. As the girl watches the bird grow from fragile duckling to creature ready for flight, she discovers the nature of love to be selfless, patient, and kind. A sweet story told in rhyme, this picture book is a winner from cover to cover.
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The Night Gardener, by The Fan Brothers
The Night Gardener has one of the all-time best picture book covers; it draws you in immediately. The tree, the moon, the boy and the magic of twilight give the cover an almost spectral quality. Readers new to the book might think they are about to embark on a mysterious and spooky adventure. Though The Night Gardener is free from scares, it is indeed filled with wonderful mystery.
A boy watches as topiary art appears unannounced in his neighborhood. There is a leafy owl, cat, rabbit, and parrot. Soon, the neighborhood is populated by a zoo of animals made from branches and leaves. The Night Gardener, a modern classic, is the work of brothers Terry and Eric Fan.
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Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears, by Verna Aardema, Leo Dillon, and Diane Dillon
Verna Aardema was a master storyteller, known for her children’s books centering around African folklore. Winner of the 1976 Caldecott Medal, Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears is one of Aardema’s most well-known works.
A collection of animals narrate this joyful cumulative tale. Each animal adds a layer to the story, until the tale reaches its comical conclusion. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its playful use of sound effects. Speaking from experience, children love this book! They delight in making the sounds of the jungle and its animals.
Cozy Classics: Pride & Prejudice, by Jack and Holman Wang
From first look, it’s clear, the Cozy Classics series is something special. Twin brothers Jack and Homan Wang use needle-felted creations to tell the stories of some of literature’s greatest works. Cozy Classics: Pride and Prejudice may be the best book of the lot!
As little ones read the book, they will see famous moments from Jane Austen’s classic novel. Each needle-felted scene is accompanied by a single word. Simple but unique, the book lives up to the promise of its lovely cover and proves that literary classics can be toddler friendly.
Which of your favorite picture books are worthy of their covers?