petersen-book-cover-research

This book's cover is related to one of the main locations in the book. There is a certain symmetry to it that lets the words not look so cheesy on the staircase. The colors and shading give it depth so the words don't distract from the stairs and the art that the kids are standing in front of, and the words don't get lost either. The kids are the main characters and the guitar case is one of the important symbols of the book. Using symmetry with the stairs, having the columns showing on the sides, and having the archway showing the kids standing at the top is a perfect combination of items to have on the cover. Having a red carpet on the staircase also makes it stand out, which makes this book distinguishable from others.
 * "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler"**

This is more of a children's book, but I have read it many times since the first time I read it. The title of the book is on a white banner that's swirling around the building, so it stands out against the darkness of the building. The house is an important aspect of the book, and all the characters are on this cover as well. They're all performing certain tasks that their characters do throughout the book, which is why it represents the story well. There are other symbols like the red bucket, the people hiding in the windows, question marks in the smoke, and the chess piece topiaries that make this book cover work well. This book's cover is one of my favorite book covers because of the color scheme as well.
 * "The Mysterious Benedict Society"**

This book is filled with poems for children. These poems are simple yet have a point to them, and these ideas can also be for adults. The poem titled "Where the Sidewalk Ends" is what the book is named after. The art on the cover shows children looking over the edge of a sidewalk, which also appears to be quite far away from a swath of large buildings. The original poem is relating to how Shel Silverstein, the author, wants to open the mind and explore new creative ideas that might not have been thought about that much before. This cover, simple and black and white, also has a font that stands out from the background.
 * "Where the Sidewalk Ends"**