Covering the Newbery (#12): Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze

By Travis On February 28, 2011 · 8 Comments

On Mondays I’m doing my darnedest to re-cover every book that has won the Newbery Medal. Let’s take a look at our latest candidate…

1933: Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis

Original Cover:

My Redo:

Side by Side:

Verdict: Hmm, I like the bold colors of the redo, but overall I’m not a huge fan this time out. What do you think?

Read Previous Covering the Newbery Posts:

1932: Waterless Mountain

1931: The Cat Who Went to Heaven

1930: Hitty, Her First Hundred Years

1929: The Trumpeter of Krakow

1928: Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon

1927: Smoky, the Cowhorse by Will James

1926: Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman

1925: Tales from Silver Lands by Charles J. Finger

1924: The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes

1923: The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

1922: The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem Van Loon

(Source Image: “iPhoneography: Mt. M” http://www.flickr.com/photos/dirkdallas/5277637393/)

8 Responses to Covering the Newbery (#12): Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze

PragmaticMom says:

February 28, 2011 at 8:10 am

I love this feature that you do. I agree with you; the first cover was so old school “FOB” but the second cover went too “over the top” modern on color and graphics YET kept the old school font. The font and the graphics don’t really match and the story still seems really old school FOB though I haven’t read it yet to be sure.

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Karenlibrarian says:

February 28, 2011 at 9:54 am

I like that you didn’t use the predictable red for the updated color. Still haven’t read this book — I tried last year but I got bored and never finished it.

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MotherReader says:

February 28, 2011 at 9:32 pm

Sorry, not my favorite either. But you’ve had a recent good run, so maybe it was about time for a meh re-cover.

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Sam Bloom says:

March 1, 2011 at 2:22 pm

This is good stuff, Travis, and I just realized that this is the earliest Newb winner that I’ve actually read! I just wanted to comment several weeks later on your cover for Tales from Silver Lands – isn’t that the same image from the cover of that one prog-rock album in the 1970s? Crap, now I’m starting to sound like the patrons with my vague questions… who the heck is that band? Little Feat? Regardless… thanks for the fun!

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- Travis says:
  
  March 2, 2011 at 10:59 am
  
  Ha, I don’t know the prog-rock cover you’re thinking of, but I could definitely see that image working for a 70s album cover.
  
  Reply
  - Sam Bloom says:
    
    March 3, 2011 at 2:57 pm
    
    I finally thought of it – it’s King Crimson!
    
    http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-court-of-the-crimson-king-r10905
    
    Reply
    - Travis says:
      
      March 3, 2011 at 3:44 pm
      
      Haha! That’s a good, nay, great call. I see the resemblance.
      
      Reply
  - Sam Bloom says:
    
    March 3, 2011 at 2:57 pm
    
    Actually, there’s a slight difference, but it is still eerily similar!
    
    Reply