Can you judge a book by its cover?

I'm in the process of designing the cover to my new children's picture book but how important is it to get the cover just right?

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but as an ebook, the cover and the description are the only two things you can judge it by.

Also, when designing a cover for a children's book, who are you aiming to please, the child or the parent/carer? Is it the picture, or the wording that is most important? What colours please most?

So, please help me with my designing - can you judge a book by its cover?

www.tothewillowgarden.co.uk

Children's Picture Book "Slippy, the Slimy Slug" doing well!

My latest book "Slippy, the Slimy Slug" is doing really well.
I'm so pleased!
I've had some lovely comments, saying the illustrations are clear and bright and the youngsters love them.  It seems rhyming books are still very popular. My other rhyming book "Hairy, Scary Spider?" is my best seller in the UK and in USA.
I've also put them on my website - I think that helped.

Check out the sample pictures, if you wish, on my website.
www.tothewillowgarden.co.uk

Illustrations for a new picture book.

Hi, I've been real busy doing the illustrations for a client.
He's really pleased with the finished pictures, so I'm real pleased.
I had to do at least thirty pictures about a tree surgeon called Treeman.
The finished picture book will be out in the new year, but I'll give you a sneek preview of some illustrations...

The picture book has quite a few characters that will be in the other books too, it was great fun inventing these characters, though it's always tricky inventing people from someone else's imagination. My client was great in this respect, he gave me a lot of freedom. Also, I now know SO MUCH about knots and ropes, health and safety when working at height and what sort of hat you need!
Let me know what you think of the pictures. Are they clear and bright? Easy to see?
Paula xxx

HELP! Who buys a picture book, and why?

Who is it that chooses a picture book?
Is it the parent/grandparent/carer who chooses? And do they choose because of the picture on the front, or because of the description in the blurb?
Then again, is it the child, who looks down the thumbnails and chooses the picture he/she likes best?
These are very important questions to picture book writers!
My picture book "Hairy Scary Spider?" is outselling my others on Amazon. Is it because of the simple front cover?
What do you think?
Please let me know of your experiences, because I've just finished another simple story and wonder if I ought to follow the example of having a 'simple' front cover.

Hi! I've worked out how to upload pictures!
The first three here are of some of my water-colours. I love to paint birds, especially those I see in my garden in the countryside of Wiltshire.
Also, I've put two of my front covers from a couple of my books that are selling really well, as ebooks.
I've had some great reviews and some lovely comments on my illustrations, which is fantastic!
Makes it all worthwhile.

Art, art and more art, plus another picture book!

I've had a real good week of art, art and more art.
I've painted lots of birds, even some miniatures on feathers.
I have a pretty blackbird who visits the garden a lot and he has been painted many times.
My garden birds sell well on ebay because I think people love to buy a painting of the
birds they see in their own gardens.
Along with the blackbird a cheeky robin has been visiting too and puffing himself up in the cold.
I painted him in snow as the contrast is effective.
With half term here in England, I've had no art lesson, except with my adult pupils, so I've had a little time!
And when I've got time I write and paint. So along with my painting, I've written another child's
picture ebook; all about slugs!
So now I've got the fun of doing all the artwork for it!
It'll be a few weeks before it'll be on Amazon, but my others are doing so well, which means people
like my work. This in turn, inspires me to do more.
XXX