Cover Controversy: Battle of the Books that Move

Most of the time, I don’t believe that two books having similar covers is intentional. There are trends that come and go, and when two covers end up looking the same, I usually chalk it up to fate. Visit a local high school and you’ll see what I mean. No one is trying to dress exactly alike, but similarities are inevitable when everyone is following the same fads.

In this case, however, chance played no role. Cover controversy? Nay. Entire book controversy. Let’s take a look at the book in question. See if you can call its twin before you see it.

Watch Me Hop by Rebecca Young.

Looking familiar? Got any guesses? Let’s see if you’re right…

Gallop! A Scanimation Picture Book by Rufus Butler Seder.

Side by side:

Man, where do we start? Similar font, similar punctuation, similar… whole idea for a book. The animal placed in the middle of each page, the gimmick to make the animal move – the twin status is official.

Gallop! uses the scanimation technique (which you may or may not know I am pretty infatuated with), while Watch Me Hop! goes the lenticular animation route (it has a big name, but you’re probably familiar with it – you tilt the page to see the motion). Indeed, what we’ve got here is a wholesale knockoff. I can understand why, as Gallop! has been a huge bestseller since it was released (and is currently #4 on the New York Times list). What’s next – Journal of a Cowardly Youth? The Cemetery Book? Onset of Darkness at End of Day?

Filed under: Cover Curiosity