Holiday Cheer

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from Jacket Knack!

Here’s a sampling of Christmas covers to bring you some holiday cheer. We’ll start the smiles with:

(Sleeping Bear Press, 2008)

Some adorable little Christmas angels?

(Andersen Press, 2010)

Splat… reminds me of my cat.

(HarperCollins, 2009)

And looks of awe and wonder, on little faces everywhere…

(HarperCollins; Reprint edition, 2009)

A shout out to my friend Gayle, for the rockin’est Santa around!

(Scholastic, 2008)

(Thanks to Bianca Schulze at The Children’s Book Review for her 20 of the Best Kids Christmas Books—the post was from last year but the smiles are timeless.)

From all of us at JACKET KNACK…

May a little CHRISTMAS MAGIC touch you, each and every day!

(Scholastic Press, 2009)

Happy Holidays!

Gift Giving Guide - Looking for the Wow

This post was intended to be a "what kids want, really, really want" gift guide. So I went to a few bookstores to see what book covers were causing kids to yell "Wow, I want this one!"

Unfortunately, parents were the ones pulling the books off the shelves while the kids gravitated towards the toys stacked nearby. And the children that were looking at book covers were trying to find the next book in their favorite series.

What did I learn from this experiment? Children go with what they know, and parents are there to expose their children to new and equally exciting experiences. So if you are looking for gifts that expand horizons, here are a few book covers that have the "wow" factor built in.

Mirror by Jeannie Baker (Candlewick, 2010) offers two covers in one book. The innovative design doesn't end there. The detail of the collage illustrations will have children discovering new images each time they stare at the mirror.

A cover that sets the mood is Swing Cafe illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer, written by Carl Norac. It even has the music to go with it.

Middle graders will be "starstruck" by either one of these two covers.

Both give a sense of movement and depth, which adds to the sense of magic these stories hold.

(Kanel Miller Book Publishers, 2010) (Scholastic Press, 2010)

For those young adult readers who may be tired of seeing the same photograph on every YA novel, surprise them with covers that show a little thought went into the design. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohen & David Levithan (Knopf Books, 2010).

The 10 pm Question by Kate De Goldi (Candlewick, 2010).

Any children's book covers that you think have the "Wow" factor? Send us the ones that you love to give as gifts. Have a happy holiday season!

Your Favorites of 2010

Reader picks for the best children's and young adult book covers of the year:

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves (Simon Pulse, 2010)

The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle (Henry Holt, 2010)

Freefall by Mindi Scott (Simon Pulse, 2010)

Where I Belong by Gillian Cross (OUP Oxford UK, 2010)

When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer (St. Martin's, 2010)

The Kid Table by Andrea Seigel (Bloomsbury, 2010)

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson  (Henry Holt, 2010)

More, more, more! Tell us your favorites (and thanks to Tanita and Julie for these!). Let's see some picture books, too.