Covering the Newbery (#64): The Hero and the Crown
1985: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
Original Cover:
SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
My Redo:
Side by Side:
Click here for the Covering the Newbery gallery.
Up next week: Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
(Source image “Procrastination King” http://flic.kr/p/bEV6pH)
Filed under: Covering the Newbery, Covers
About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SLJ Blog Network
A Fuse #8 Production
The Scourge of Upside Down Knitting Needles: 2024 Edition
Good Comics for Kids
Exclusive: Random House Graphic to Launch Global Comic Line Ink Pop | News
Politics in Practice
The Seven Bills That Will Safeguard the Future of School Librarianship
Teen Librarian Toolbox
Lockdowns & Lockouts: Favorite Book Series Give Middle Grade Readers Shelter, a guest post by author Terri Farley
The Yarn
Gayle Forman Visits The Yarn!
ADVERTISEMENT
I love this book, it is actually one where I think the original cover is one of the best it has had. (Though I have no idea why it looks like they’re surrounded by waves.) I like the idea behind the redo but it feels kind of… fluffy? Too girly even though it is a book by a woman about a girl. And that is not how I picture the crown at all though I can’t remember the actual description. I think at the end you should pick your favorite covers that you created.
I reread the book just recently — the crown is a plain iron band. So, not a good match for the one on the redone cover (though it’s a very nice crown, and a good effort). I agree with Stephanie that the original cover was actually fairly good in this case, though it does look a little dated. Maybe simply reworking the font would help. . . .
While the redone cover might not match the content of the book as well, I find it much more appealing personally. I didn’t read this book for years because of the cover, even though I love Robin McKinley’s books. Every time I read the description somewhere I would think it sounded really good, but then when I went to get it from the shelf I never took it home. I finally read it last year and loved it. I do think the font is the major obstacle. The spine is particularly unappealing and unreadable.