Behind the Books

 "Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." — Emilie Buchwald One of my favourite memories from elementary school is sitting on the carpet during story time and looking up at the book while the teacher read aloud. Long before I could read many of the words myself, I loved studying the illustrations on the cover, searching for details, and wondering what clues they might hold about the story inside. I'm sure that's  one reason I enjoy designing book covers today. A cover is often a reader's first introduction to a book. Before the first page is turned, before the story begins, the cover gives readers a glimpse into the world waiting inside. Over the different series I've worked on, these different books call for different approaches which was a bit of a surprise as I thought I would only do full wraparound covers for all my kids books. For my first book,  Bye-Bye, Boobies , I chose a wraparound cover. Rather than treating the front and back as se...

“The old that is strong does not wither.”  — J.R.R. Tolkien When I first started working on this series, I knew I wanted it to feel connected to the cycle of the year. I didn't create this logo until I had two book covers finished to get a feel of what would be a good fit between two completely different stories and cover images. I think that the Changing Traditions logo now is a way to bring those ideas together visually. Each section of the circle represents a different season through small natural details: blossoms for spring,  sunlight and greenery for summer,  autumn leaves and berries,  then snow and candlelight for winter.  The logo reflects many of the themes that continue appearing throughout the series: seasonal change, returning traditions, celebrations connected to weather and light, and the way stories are carried forward year after year. I also wanted the design to feel warm and timeless rather than overly modern so have left the text off the cover...