Should the cover for a children's book look like it was drawn by a child?

[Elmore Hammes]

Okay, the post subject pretty much says it. If the cover looks like a kid drew it, does that pull you to the book, assuming you have interest in books for that age group? Or does it make you think the story will be too childish / amateurish?

I have a specific interest in this, of course. I wrote a middle-grade fantasy/mystery (kids in the book are twelve years old), and deliberately made the front cover appear as if it was hand-drawn by a kid - it is supposed to represent the front of their club's journal.

Here's the image/link for the Kindle edition:


So, thoughts/opinions on this from readers and fellow authors?

[Ann in Arlington]

At first glance and without a lot of analyzing:  a book cover that seems to be a child's drawing is probably first going to hit me as "kid's book".

That said, a kid's book does not have to have a cover that looks like a kid's drawing.

And, if I have time and inclination to browse,  I may find that a book cover that looks like a kid's drawing is actually not a kid's book.

[Carol Hanrahan]

I personally like the cover.  It made me stop and look more closely.

[Susan in VA]

OK, FWIW  --  my DD is not quite in the right age group yet, but I just showed her the picture of the cover and asked what she thought. 

Apart from not knowing the word "consortium", she didn't much react to the childlike printing.  Maybe to kids it's not that obvious. 

But she said she'd like to see the book because "it's really creative the way the words curve around those circles, so maybe it's a really good book too". 

So there you have it.   

[MariaESchneider]

I actually thought the drawing was a bit too young for 12 year olds (but i don't have kids.  I'm basing it on what I was reading at 12 and I was already done reading all the Nancy Drews and so on).

I don't think such a drawing has to look hand drawn--I think it has to look interesting and captivating, no matter what it is.  I think a more complex design might be cooler, although I too like the way the title goes around the design.

Good luck with it either way!!!!

[telracs]

"should" it?  not my place to say.  you, as the author/illustrator/cover artist are the only one in the right position to make that decision.

"could" it?  sure, why not?  depends on the book and what you're trying to say.

Did this particular cover catch my eye?  actually, yes, a while ago. but the blurb didn't catch my interest and I never bought it.

[TiffanyTurner]

This question is getting me to think it's mostly relative to the book content.
If your book needs to have a kid-drawn looking cover, then it needs it.
It got me thinking about "The Wimpy Kid" series. Most of the books have hand-drawn pictures to help illustrate the story as it's told. They are written like a journal/diary, and the cover looking like it is drawn by a kid makes sense.
I think it really has to do with what your book is about.
If you have a character that draws kid-like, and it is pivotal to the plot, maybe you need a kid drawn cover to convey what your book is about. That is the purpose of a cover. If the kid drawing method conveys what you want, then go for it.
And if I saw a kid-like drawn cover in another section other than the children's books, it would draw my attention. It would look out of place, grab my attention from other books, and I'd look at it. That is your ultimate goal.
I always go to bookstores and look at the covers. Helps me figure what is selling or what covers are the eye grabbers.

[marianneg]

"should" it?  not my place to say.  you, as the author/illustrator/cover artist are the only one in the right position to make that decision.

"could" it?  sure, why not?  depends on the book and what you're trying to say.

This.

It's a good idea for this cover, I think.  My one suggestion would be to add some background to make it look like it was drawn on notebook paper or on the cover of a spiral notebook or something.  With just the plain white background, it looks more like a Shel Silverstein book cover; not that that's bad, just that it doesn't say to me "drawn by a kid" until I've read further and realize what the book is about.