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Any bookworm will admit it: you can judge a book by its cover. Especially a children's book cover, which is usually created by the story illustrator and therefore gives a big taste of what's to come. In this glorious compendium of children's book covers from 1860 to 1960, readers get a veritable feast for their eyes. Beautifully arranged reproductions of the covers are captioned with brief ... More

Any bookworm will admit it: you can judge a book by its cover. Especially a children's book cover, which is usually created by the story illustrator and therefore gives a big taste of what's to come. In this glorious compendium of children's book covers from 1860 to 1960, readers get a veritable feast for their eyes. Beautifully arranged reproductions of the covers are captioned with brief explications of the historical and technological context of the artwork and interesting tidbits of information. Did you know that 25 years before Pat the Bunny was published, the cover of a book called The Children's Companion included a dog with a furry cloth body?

Painstakingly organized by decade, with additional chapters on series books, multiple covers for the same theme, shaped books, back covers, and more, the book surveys the broad spectrum of picture book cover concepts and techniques over the years. From anonymous artists to well-known illustrators such as Kate Greenaway and Dr. Seuss, and from plain, functional wrapping to elaborately embellished Victorian borders and lettering, these covers capture the history of children's literature almost as well as the text within. In addition to carefully tracing the evolution of this unique art form, From Mother Goose to Dr. Seuss will make an exquisite addition to the collection of any artist, parent, art historian, graphic designer, collector, or avid reader. --Emilie Coulter

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