Redesign A Book Cover
Here's What To Do
1
Have your child select a book to read and ask them to describe what they see on the cover.
2
Ask your child what they notice about the art or pictures on the cover and to share what they think the story might be about based on what they see.
3
Read the book together.
4
Ask your child to draw their own cover for this book. (Optional: Help your child write the title of the book on their cover.)
Put PEER Into Action
P
Pause:
- Select a cozy and comfortable place to read the book, allowing your child to hold the book or turn the pages.
E
Engage:
- When looking at the book cover, point out and read the title, author’s name, and illustrator’s name. Talk about what the author and illustrator did to make this book.
- "What do you see on the cover? Looking at the picture, what do you think will happen in this book?"
E
Encourage:
- "Let's pretend you're the artist in charge of making a new cover. What would you put on it? Who are some of the important characters, places, or parts of the story you could draw?"
- Remember that your child's drawing may not look very much like what they're trying to draw, and that's okay! This activity is all about helping them think about how a book's cover is an important part of a book.
R
Reflect:
- Discuss similarities and differences between the art and pictures on the book cover and the redesign drawing created by your child.
Not quite ready?
Look at multiple book covers and practice making predictions about stories based on the art and pictures.
Ready for more?
Ask your child to point out the author, illustrator, and title of a book without help from you.
As your child masters this skill...
They will be able to understand what a book's cover communicates to readers.