Thinking sheet · Stories and words

Design a Book Cover

Make the cover for a book you’d love to write: title, picture, author name and the blurb on the back.

Grades
1–5
Time
about 30 minutes
Kids practice
summarizing, design and layout, knowing your audience

What kids do

“You’re the author and the illustrator. Design your book’s cover!”

  1. Front cover (title, picture, your name)
  2. Back cover blurb: what is the book about?
  3. Who would love this book?
  4. Why I chose this picture:

How to run it

  • Look at real book covers together: what do they all have?
  • The blurb should make you want to read, not tell the ending.
  • Show how a drawing book cover is made.

Talk about it

  • What makes you pick up a book?
  • Did your title and picture match?
  • What would the first page say?

Take it further

Write and illustrate the first page.

Pairs well with

Free for home and classroom use. Print as many copies as you need.

More thinking sheets

Three-Box Comic thinking sheet
Stories and words

Three-Box Comic

A character goes somewhere new. Tell what happens in a beginning, a middle and an end.

Grades K–5 · about 30 minutes

Character Passport thinking sheet
Stories and words

Character Passport

Invent a character and fill in their passport: photo, name, home, favorite food, superpower and biggest fear.

Grades 1–5 · about 25 minutes

See all 100 thinking sheets

Free for teachers

Get the free Classroom Drawing Kit

12 printable pages: six step-by-step lessons, a grid activity, draw-and-write sheets and teacher notes, sent with your welcome email. After that, new classroom printables by email.

Keep creating with Kevin

New book announcements and free drawing and coloring activity pages, delivered by newsletter.