Penguin Brief

 I chose "Talking Turkeys" by Benjamin Zephaniah because of the powerful way he writes poetry. He has an interesting way of being able to express his views on such hard hitting subjects such as; racism, animal rights, war, global warming. The book is remarkable because of how it is able to communicate this subjects in an easier and more digestible way for kids. It is never boring and has a spoken word quality to it. I like the ideas that Zephaniah brings forward and it is a very interesting book that I'd to illustrate. 

Going more in depth into Zephaniah's background, it is clear that his Rastafarian approach is because beliefs and I will take this into account when illustrating his book. It could be interesting to also to include his ideals in the illustration because of how much his book emphasises issues that need to be changed. 

Here's the original cover from 1994;

Second cover;

Both of these covers are effective for the book. However, I do prefer the first version mainly because of the colours and chaotic style used it more suited Zephaniah's writing. I think the modernised cover is nicer to look at however it isn't explaining to a great extent whats inside of the book. Despite of this I do think the lettering in the background is clever this is mainly due to the fact it actually uses quotes from his poem in the book. I think that's a really effective choice. 

Some covers of children's poetry books that inspire me;

Illustrated by Britta Teckentrup 

What stands out the most to me for this illustration is the bright colours and how the tiger is looking directly at you. Its really striking and powerful and I think this is definitely the route I'd want to go down for the penguin book. This illustration is so eye-catching and maintains a strong use of textures and tones. 

Illustrated by Dean Atta

This illustration is so well thought out, the concept is beautifully done and similar to the previous illustration, the colour palette used is eye-catching. The use of black lettering is also very effective against the bright pink.  It is clear to me that the most attractive illustrations for poetry books are from an interesting perspective using bright colours, so I will definitely take this on board when experimenting with different styles and techniques. I also find that when the drawing looks traditional it is more appealing to look at.

Illustrated by Ekua Holmes 

The use of colour in this illustration is brilliant. The artistic perspective really is eye-catching and gives the book character. This is something that I believe the second illustrated cover for "talking turkeys" lacks. The lettering is also very interesting and links so well with the illustration itself. Again, when an illustration appears traditional I find it so more appealing and interesting to look at. 

Here are some more notable book designs;

I love the contrast of the darker colours compare to the bright yellow and pink. It really makes this book cover stand out. I am unsure who illustrates this book but it is published by Simon and Schuster Ltd. However, it is really effective and eye-catching. 

Published by Penguin Random House USA, this cover looks incredibly powerful and shows the magical aspects of the story all in the book. Again, the bright colours contrasting against the dark purples and blues are incredible and very aesthetically pleasing. 

This cover is also so magical and colour. Similar to the previous covers, the bright colours are beautiful and contrast nicely with the darker colours. 

Simon Prades illustrates this book cover and the way the trees are drawn and the background scenery into the dragon. It is so effective how empty the book half is compared to the top. The use of negative space is very impressive in this book cover.