Sunday, November 19, 2017

Shelf Candy Saturday No. 231: The Fox and the Star, by Coralie Bickford-Smith



Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!


***Late Edition***
This is my weekly feature
showcasing beautiful covers!
It also provides information, 
if available, on their 
very talented creators!



Here's my choice for this week!

The Fox and the Star
Coralie Bickford-Smith 
Hardcover, 64 pages
Penguin Books
November 10 , 2015
   Children's Fiction, Fantasy, 
Graphic Novels


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25387851-the-fox-and-the-star?ac=1&from_search=true




My Thoughts About This Cover

This is such an enchanting cover! It's one of those that I could look at again and again! 

The design is just purely exquisite. The overall pattern made by the stylized tree branches, curving around and around all over the image, is just totally GORGEOUS! And the little leaves are so lovingly detailed..... There's even a delicate little spider's web ensconced in one of the branches, close to the words "and the" in the title. Aaaah! The feeling I get is pure visual bliss, along with a delightful sense of whimsy. 

Of course I'm not forgetting the cute lilttle fox at the bottom of the image. He fits so perfectly into the overall design, too, as he tilts his head up toward the equally cute star blinking toward the upper right-hand corner. 

It's just so fascinating, the way the eye is led all over the cover, flowing from one end, and across, to the other. Sheer genius!

It's also fascinating, as well as amazing, the effect that a designer can achieve with just black and white!

The author of this lovely children's book had previously made a name for herself as a book designer, and, of course, she designed this cover, as well. In addition to the cover image, she has created the illustrations found throughout this beautiful book. 

The following information is from Bickford-Smith's Goodreads Author Page: "Coralie Bickford-Smith graduated from Reading University after studying Typography and Graphic Communication, and currently works in-house at Penguin Books. Coralie's book covers have been recognised by the AIGA (NY) and D&AD (UK), and have been featured in  numerous international magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Vogue, and The Guardian. Her work with Penguin Classics on the clothbound series attracted worldwide attention, and harks back to the world of Victorian bindings and a golden age of book binding."

I will soon be featuring more of the GORGEOUS Penguin Classics covers that have been designed by Bickford-Smith! Meanwhile, if you click on her website link below, you'll see some of her exquisite cover designs for these books.

Needless to say, this BRILLIANT designer is on my happily endless list of favorite great book illustrators and designers!

 

Online Links



What do you think of 
this week's cover?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!







2 comments:

  1. I really like this cover too. At first glance it seems kind of minimalist. I think that is the effect of it only being black and white. But on closer examination, as you point out it is very intricate. I agree that the fox and the star add a nice touch.

    It reminds me of some black metalwork one occasionally sees on outdoor lawn furniture or out decorations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Brian!

      Yes, at first glance, this cover does look a little minimalist. But it is indeed intricate. It also has a very bold presence. Plus, the fox and the star do add a VERY nice touch! It even seems as though the fox might be going through all the "passages" formed by the branches, in search of the star, as if he were going through a labyrinth! And thus, I've just noticed THAT aspect of this cover.

      Ooooh, I LOVE your observation about the similarity with some black metalwork. I hadn't thought of it! Of course there's a similarity there! Thanks for pointing that out!:) :)

      Thanks for the interesting comment, Brian!! Hope you have a GREAT week, along with a GREAT Thanksgiving, for you, your wife, and all your family!! <3 :)

      Delete

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