Illustrated Book Covers

What to Eat During the Apocalypse

Vladimir Stefan

Designed by Christian S.

Available to hire ⏺

"This design highlights the quirky, funny title—dystopian recipes!—while presenting the dark backdrop in an engaging way. We chose a gas-mask-wearing chef to capture the book's strange spirit. Borrowing market trends like simple, solid colors and an illustrative style appealing on social media, we created a timeless look. The distressed sans serif typography is readable and suggests breakdown. We aimed for a design that lets the clever title shine."

A Slayer's Reckoning

Ariel Cross

Designed by Joshua G.

Available to hire ⏺

"This story gave me a clear vision from the very start about what I needed to show: a badass Terra wielding her khopesh in a graveyard. To make it happen I built the prop weapon and sourced the outfit myself for a reference photoshoot I did with local model, Ella. When the final painting is paired with the title the reader knows exactly what to expect. The vibes? Revenge. The Fantasy? Urban. With licks of blood dripping from the 'teeth' of the typography as an allusion to the vampire sub-genre."

To Catch a Falling Star

L. M. Ramirez

Designed by Madli S.

Available to hire ⏺

"The author requested a fully illustrated cover featuring a portrait of the main character. After discussing the storyline, it became clear that stars and the universe play a key role in the story. The final concept shows the main character gazing up at the stars, reflecting on her identity and origins. We aimed for a dreamy, mysterious mood to captivate YA fantasy readers and evoke the sense of wonder central to the narrative."

Eve Archer

A P Coiteux

Designed by Candice B.

Available to hire ⏺

"The novel is an urban fantasy with outer space elements. The protagonist's clothing conveys the urban vibe, while nebula clouds represent space. I included a dragon and fireball in the background to highlight the fantasy aspect.To break away from typical YA covers, I chose a cropped side view to convey action and suspense, rather than a glamorous front portrait. Graphic elements like concentric circles and stars blend symbolism with realism for a unique and sophisticated design."

The Big Shot Trader

Mitesh Desai

Designed by Driss C.

Available to hire ⏺

"The Big Shot Trader is all about evolving in a highly competitive, stressful industry. The idea was to use a slightly over-the-top composition to emphasize the 'clog in the machine' feeling of the main character. Balancing an overwhelming corporate blue with vibrant yellow details helped the cover stand out without losing the familiarity of current market trends. Incorporating the title into the decor is often a great way to make a design truly unique."

Henry Knows Best

Emily Learing

Designed by Denise T.

Available to hire ⏺

"Henry is self-centered and needs to change if he wants friends. To convey this, I designed a cover showing him holding the ball to himself in a team game. Moreover, all elements of the illustration and fonts are centered around Henry, emphasizing that it's 'all about him.' To make the cover stand out, I focused on the color palette, legibility, clear communication, and delivering a strong message."

Model Village

Leo A. Murphy

Designed by Nejc P.

Available to hire ⏺

"The book is a dystopian novel about a shadowy authoritarian figure terrorizing a small Cotswold village. The cover needed to balance the village's cozy atmosphere with the looming fear of change. Inspired by Olly Moss and vintage Penguin covers of 1984, I used distinct color, shapes, and composition to convey the dystopian themes. A subtle visual easter egg is hidden in the design: the eye color on the cover matches that of the main character, adding a personal touch to the artwork."

Luna's Walk During April Showers

Leslie Salazar

Designed by Aline B.

Available to hire ⏺

The cover portrays Luna joyfully exploring nature on a rainy day, capturing the book’s theme of finding beauty in rain-soaked surroundings. My signature whimsy and cuteness are evident in the detailed, nature-focused backgrounds, appealing to both young readers and their parents. The umbrella with the book's title adds a charming touch, symbolizing protection and enjoyment during a rainy day’s adventure while making the title stand out in a cute way.

In the Joshua Sea

M. Stillman

Designed by Barış Ş.

Available to hire ⏺

"The cover art aims to visually encapsulate the author's deep connection to Joshua Tree National Park. The challenge was to harmoniously merge the desert landscape with oceanic elements, striking a balance between these contrasting environments. By combining unexpected imagery—such as a whale amidst the desert and Joshua trees—the illustration becomes both captivating and intriguing."

Beyond the Border

Nicole Rogers

Designed by Owen G.

Available to hire ⏺

"The book is an honest memoir of one man's experience through the Korean War and the country's divide to the modern day. The cover, split in half, reflects both the North-South Korea divide and the author's contrasting life experiences. The design symbolizes the divide between past and present, young and old, positive and negative. A serif font grounds it as a serious memoir, while painterly tones and hand-drawn elements add a sensitive, human touch, balancing contrast without being too harsh."

The Case of the Missing Cheese

Lisa C. Mitchell

Designed by Caitlin B. A.

Available to hire ⏺

"For this Middle Grade, the author and I wanted to find the right balance of whimsy and mystery 一 nothing too "kiddy" and nothing too scary. The carnival is an important setting in the book, and this audience usually responds well to character-based covers, so I put together a narrative image that included enigmatic body language with slightly discordant but vibrant colors that aligns with the genre while still intriguing the reader to find out more."

Blue Van Winkle

Nathaniel David Knox

Designed by Hugh C.

Available to hire ⏺

"The book is about a multiple perspective family saga with elements of crime, suspense, and romance. The different windows show each character and hints at aspects of the narrative without overtly giving anything anyway. Working closely with the author who wanted a cover that is minimalist and retro but with contrast and texture - the design is inspired by futurist and Art Deco graphic design and the limited sombre colour palette conveys melancholy, hope and a tad bit of danger."

The Ghosts of Time

Shannon Jones

Designed by Jesus F.

Available to hire ⏺

Yours in Amsterdam

Reyna Starlette

Designed by My Lan K.

Available to hire ⏺

"The cover highlights the two main characters with subtle elements that reveal the story's setting in Amsterdam in a style that aligns with contemporary romance trends. I added soft textures to the characters' clothes for depth, and a script font for the title evokes a handwritten letter. To hint at the plot, I included a bruise on the female character’s knee, reflecting how they meet after she falls off her bike, and used expression, pose, and outfits to showcase their personalities."

Where The Stars Hide

Patricia Gulzar

Designed by Madli S.

Available to hire ⏺

"The author of this magical YA fantasy had a clear vision for the cover—an illustration combining a close-up portrait of the young protagonist and a futuristic cityscape with a strong red glow. After discussing the storyline, we finalized a concept and color palette that best represents the narrative. The goal was to create a dark, mysterious illustration with intense eye contact from the main character, designed to captivate the target audience."

Foster Poems

Joshua Thaddeus Hill

Designed by Eva P.

Available to hire ⏺

Cautionary Tales

Mary Hickey

Designed by Patricia M.

Available to hire ⏺

Aqua Paws

Patricia Allieri

Designed by Stella M.

Available to hire ⏺

"The approach for this cover was to blend two distinct worlds—above and below water, reflecting the cat's everyday life and his adventure destination—in a playful yet serene way. The goal was to create an atmosphere that highlights the cat's curiosity and the underwater scene, with an environmental theme. Textured typography ensures the title is always legible while being playfully integrated into the illustration. Also, the contrasting colors capture kids' attention and make the cover dynamic."

All My Colors

L T James

Designed by Kelsey M.

Available to hire ⏺

THE ONE WE LEFT BEHIND

Sara Coven

Designed by Taylor B.

Available to hire ⏺

Be Like The Moon

Levi Welton

Designed by Xavier C.

Available to hire ⏺

Where The Blackbirds Rise

Elle Gonzales

Designed by Dion MBD

Available to hire ⏺

The 38 Impossible Loves of Naoko Nishizawa

Monna McDiarmid

Designed by Caitlin B. A.

Available to hire ⏺

"For this YA novel, the author wanted to emphasize the relationship between these two characters, which was in line with common visual themes in the genre. The friendship is at the center of the story, so I was sure to use body language that showed a comfortability and closeness, and we wanted to be sure to spend a lot of time getting the features of each character correct, emphasizing the uniqueness of the girls, despite their uniforms."

Gitmo and Back Again

Glenn Fisher

Designed by Caitlin B. A.

Available to hire ⏺

"The author initially envisioned a ship crashing into a sailboat or icebergs adorned with peace signs, reflecting the story of a young man in the 1970s eager to escape his small town and join the revolutionary events shaping his country. To bring the 1970s counter-culture concept to life without falling into clichés, I opted for a collage-style design. Instead of the overused peace signs, I "cut" the icebergs from a psychedelic print, balancing clear messaging with a fresh, original aesthetic."

A Thousand Miles to Santiago

Shawn Herron

Designed by Andy B.

Available to hire ⏺

Bibi Blundermuss and the Tree Across the Cosmos

Andrew Durkin

Designed by Devin W.

Available to hire ⏺

"I leaned heavily into the young adult illustration aesthetic for this cover design. I worked closely with the author to understand his vision and incorporated several spooky elements in the illustration that pop up throughout the story. I illustrated the main characters in addition to designing a number of interior illustrations and a hand-drawn typeface. The author said it was fun to see his story come to life. It was a bit like getting to illustrate my own animated movie."

Otis Has a Bad Day

Rebecca Ensign

Designed by Stella M.

Available to hire ⏺

"The concept for this cover, which I both designed and illustrated, centers on the typography and the idea of the main character 'patching things up,' creating a hopeful tone despite the title and Otis' expression. Bright, contrasting colors draw the eye, making the cover engaging for the target audience. The inclusion of funny little critters adds charm while introducing side characters that enhance the book's fun and entertaining atmosphere."

Rieden Reece and the Final Flower

Matt Guzman

Designed by Kim D.

Available to hire ⏺

Letting It All Go

Swava Stengel

Designed by Stella M.

Available to hire ⏺

"The cover design, which I both created and illustrated, aims to evoke ethereal beauty and introspection, aligning with the contemplative nature of poetry. The cosmic background suggests a journey of transformation, while the delicate butterflies, dragonfly, and glowing lights symbolize renewal and the ephemeral. A clean serif font adds elegance and timelessness. The text placement is unobtrusive, keeping the artwork as the focal point while ensuring the title remains prominent and readable."

Eamon in the Library

Guy Petelli

Designed by Eoin R.

Available to hire ⏺

"The cover captures a key moment of tension early in the book where the main protagonist has to make a choice, this scene had a lot of strong visual elements and encapsulated the main themes of the book well. I tried to balance a strong visual that looked contemporary while being true to the look and feel of the book’s world. The depiction of one of the main characters of the book as a large humanoid bird creature draws the eye and makes the design overall more unique."

The Big Prince

Yordanka Minkova

Designed by caterina B.

Available to hire ⏺

Journey To The Heartland

Xiaolong Huang

Designed by Andy B.

Available to hire ⏺

The Big Yank (Splash!)

Sandy Hoag

Designed by Anne G.

Available to hire ⏺

The Hope Seed

Ellen Paton

Designed by Stella M.

Available to hire ⏺

"The design for this cover was meant to enhance the vibrant, swirling colors of the illustration and ensure the title stands out while at the same time sharing the same flowing lines of the branches. The slightly uneven, hand-drawn style of the letters evokes the feeling of a story that is both magical and full of wonder."

Annabel Pickering and the Sky Pirates: The Fantastical Contraption

Bretigne Shaffer

Designed by Isabelle Arné

Available to hire ⏺

The Invisible Body

Jenny Cutts

Designed by Mark S.

Available to hire ⏺

The Mess Monster

Jessica Marie

Designed by Nicholas C.

Available to hire ⏺

"For this cover, the goal was to create a fun, messy design that's both vivid and age-appropriate. The illustration needed to be playful yet distinct in style. It was necessary to have a bold font that was practical for picture book but also that hinted at what the book was about. I used a dynamic font with suitable illustrations around the title, but to ensure they didn’t distract from the font."

Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow

David Swenson

Designed by Peter S.

Available to hire ⏺

"For a memoir about breaking life's rules, I believed the cover should do the same. I wrapped the memoir's long subtitle around the cover image like a frame, choosing a literal depiction of a fish swimming against the pack. To emphasize this, I colored the contrary fish a rebellious red, while the others are blue. The fish-against-the-flow theme extends across the back cover and spine, with a dotted red line indicating the nonconformist fish's eccentric trajectory."