Examples

Below you will find a series of examples of various covers. You can find more on the Cover Images for Children's Books page. All cover image descriptions begin with: Title: 'Title of Book', by Author(s)

Simple

These covers are simple. The font is not important to the meaning of the cover, so we do not describe it.

[Alt-text]: Close up of the iris of a blue and hazel eye on a white background. There is a dark blue border on the top and bottom of the cover.

[Alt-text]: A single red rose lays in the white snow.

Covers with Quotes

In this following example, there is a quote on the cover that is used to draw in interest to the reader. It is important to include this quote in the image description.

[Alt-text]: A still life painting of flowers in an antique wooden frame. The frame rots away halfway down the image exposing the roots of the flowers that grow outward, behind, and through the letters of the title. A quote from Lauren Groff reads: 'So sharp, so utterly brilliant that I found myself holding my breath while reading, dazzled by Fuller’s mastery and precision.'

Covers with Visually Impactful Font

In these examples, the font is used for visual impact, so it can be described.

[Alt-Text]: The title forms a cross on a black background. The letters are large and in all capitals. 'Knowings' is spelled out vertically, in yellow letters. 'Knots' is spelled out horizontally, in green letters. The words cross, intersecting at the ‘o’ of each word. The ‘o’ is a solid pale green circle with a black ampersand in the center.

[Alt-Text]: The cover is divided into four horizontal sections. The top half is a black and white portrait in a gilded golden frame, which features a woman in Edwardian clothing. She has a medium skin tone and black hair pulled up into ringlets pinned to either side of her head. Below this is the title in black letters against a white background, except for the B in Brûlés which is red. Below the title, there is a painting of two hunters in snowshoes pulling a sled full of supplies over a clearing in a forest. They both wear hooded coats, and a small dog walks beside them. At the bottom of the cover, are the authors' names in white letters across a black background.

[Alt-text]: A young girl stands in front of a bookshelf. She holds an orange book to her chest and looks to the side with a smile and one eyebrow raised. The bookshelf stands behind her to the right. It has four shelves and no back, and is taller than the girl. Each shelf is filled with books with multiple coloured covers. A large brown teddy bear sits on the ground in front of the bookcase, and is half the height of the girl. Six books are piled on the ground around the girl and over a round orange carpet. They are divided into two piles, with one open facedown on the carpet near her feet. The girl has a medium-dark skin tone and wears her dark tight-curly hair in a large fluffy bun on top of her head with a pink bow headband. She has large almond shaped brown eyes and rosy cheeks. She wears a long-sleeved pink shirt with purple sleeves, yellow polka dot pants, and pink socks. The title is written on a white poster pasted to the left of the bookshelf. The phrase “Help Wanted” is written in brown text in the style of a Wanted Poster. The phrase “Must Love Books” is written in large colourful blocky text as if hand drawn with markers. Three butterflies fly around the poster: one is blue, one is pink, and one is orange.

Image Focused Covers

In these descriptions, you would focus more on the images, and not include details about the font. Remember to keep in mind the context.

[Alt-text]: The title is in the center of the cover on a brown leather background. Above and below the title are color photos of food, including a quesadilla grilling on a barbecue, a pot of chili over an open fire, and a stack of blueberry pancakes. In the top center is a silhouette of a cowboy against a yellow sky.

[Alt-text]:A vase of white lilies sits on a table beside a torn note. The lilies are wilted. The note reads: 'I love you.' Instead of the word 'love' there is an image of a heart. The note is torn down the centre of the heart.

[Alt-text]: A green stuffed fabric chair sits before a wooden bookshelf. The bookshelf is full of leather-bound books with gold lettering and designs on the spines.

Abstract and Sci-fi Covers

If there is an object on the cover that is abstract, futuristic, or complex in its shape you can describe it is relation to another common object. As long as it invokes the right imagery in your mind.

[Alt-text]: A yellow background with an abstract painting above the title. The painting consists of layers of thin watercolor brushstrokes in purple, orange, green, and white that form a web-like pattern. The title is in large black upper case letters across the bottom of the page. A label on the right side of the cover reads: 'Winner of the Malinda A. Markham Translation Prize.'

[Alt-text]: A wheel-shaped spacecraft hovers between two planets in outer space. The planet above it is large, misty, and rust coloured while the planet below it is smaller and marked with a faint stripe-like texture. The spaceship features a large exterior ring and two thinner interior rings, all connected by four spokes shooting out of a central spire. The back of the spire features a large module with four thrusters attached to its rear, while the front of the spire features a smaller module, a long, thin arm, and a third module at the tip. The module at the tip is shaped like a metal flower bulb with four leaves emerging from its base. It is aimed at a blueish and bright light in the far distance. The title appears in the bottom-left corner in large gold, sans-serif lettering marked by angular notches.