Design a Sci-Fi Book Cover
Recommended For: Ages 7 and up
Badges: Space & the Future, Artist in Space
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Download this activity as a PDF - no electricity required.
Around every great book is a book cover. The design on the cover of books is called cover art. Cover art helps a book stand out on the library shelf. In this activity, you will explore science fiction book covers and then design your own.
What You Need
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Paper
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Pencils, markers, crayons OR digital/computer art program
Wonder
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What do you think makes a great book cover? Take a look at your books at home. What do you like about them? What don’t you like?
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Look & Notice
(This is a great activity to do with a fellow Wondernaut in your household!)
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Take a look at these sci-fi book covers.
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What do you notice first? Why do you think your notice that first?
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What is the same? What is different?
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What colors do you notice?
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What do you notice about the image(s)?
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What do you notice about the typography (style of font)?
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How has the artist prioritized information?
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Create
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Option 1: Create Your Own Book Cover
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Option 2: Redesign a Book Cover from a Book of Your Choice
Option 1:
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A little background work:
First, if you have a not already written a book, you will need to think of some details abouta book you might want to write. Use your imagination! What is the book’s title? Who is the author? Who is the illustrator? Who is the main character? Is there more than one main character? Where is it taking place?
Once you have your imaginary book and you have been inspired by looking at other science fiction cover art, you are ready to plan your cover art.
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You need to decide:
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What image or images do you want to include?
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What typography (font) do you want to use?
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What is the most important piece of information? Where should it go?
Now it’s time to create!
Tip: It’s a great idea to sketch out some different ideas. A great book cover will not only give the viewer an idea about the content, but it should be eye catching and encourage people to pick it up!
Option 2:
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Redesign the cover art for a book of your choice.
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Think about the book you have chosen. Who is the main character? What are some descriptive words you would use to describe the book to a friend?
Remember to include
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A clear title and author name
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A graphic design that reflects the book’s themes
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You can also include a review of the book
Tip: It’s a great idea to sketch out some different ideas. A great book cover will not only give the viewer an idea about the content, but it should be eye catching and encourage people to pick it up!
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Wonderlog
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Want to complete this task towards collecting a Wondernaut badge? Share with the Wondernaut community by posting a photo of your sci-fi book cover!
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