Who says you can't judge a book by it's cover??

      Being an illustrator and  a collector of storybooks, I make it a point to study the book covers of my favorites. I believe the most important piece of illustration for any type of book is the Jacket, but this is especially true for a Storybook.What makes for a great book cover?  It not only requires artistic talent but a real sense of design. I scrutinize the books in my vast collection of nearly 300 storybooks, many dating from the early 1900's, in an effort to discover what exactly it is that makes these book covers wonderful.

  The book covers below all have that special something that makes you want to delve into the the book and discover what delightful treasures await.

The artists from top to right are: Laurel Long, Maggie Kneen, Jill Barklem, Valerie Greeley and Cecily Mary Barker
In my opinion a successful book jacket must accomplish the following feat:
Capture the viewers attention and entice them to come in, explore further, read on.

 Valerie Greeley is  an artist who's gorgeous  book cover ' The Acorns Story, (ABOVE) is a 'preview of coming attractions'. as well as a pictorial  reflection of the Books title.As you enter the world of this book, you  are not disappointed, as it is filled with rich and sumptuous paintings, such as the page below.. Lush and lovely illustrations on every page, just what I want to see!

Smashing!
http://acornmoon.blogspot.com/ 
THIS is what I believe: The artwork in a story book should be marvelous. There are many STYLES of marvelous, from the sweet simplicity of   E.H. Shepard's. "Winnie the Pooh" to the lavish extravagance of Lynn Bywaters. I realize it is a matter of taste.
    I tend to love  detailed and superabundant illustrations in a book.
 One of my favorite set of books is the Brambley Hedge series by Artist Jill Barklem.
 Her book Jackets are always perfect, and a wonderful indication of the happiness that awaits when you "step inside".

 You simply cannot believe the remarkable abundance of teeny tiny detail in every painting, made especially extraordinary seeing as her pages are only 6 inches wide and 7 inches tall!

http://www.bramblyhedge.co.uk/

I believe the artwork in a book should capture the imagination and set it ablaze with wonder!

 Do you remember the books of your early childhood? I remember the entrancing pictures in the few books we had, and would spend hours pouring over each one. It didn't matter that I could not yet read, I didn't need to, the artist provided me with a bounty of images set upon the paper in an atmosphere of wondrous colors and  visual treats. We often talk about the "gift of reading", and reading IS  a gift, as the written word is so precious, but I wish more emphasis would be put upon the artistic content of a book. Storybooks are a child's first introduction to art, AND Storybooks are NOT just for kids. Why not make a point of  sharing  with your little ones, rich and beautiful illustrations that are timeless? There are SO many beautiful books. Unfortunately, we are also bombarded by books with unattractive, unimaginative pictures and told by book reviewers, critics and the Caldecott committee that their choices are "Superior Illustration" . POOH ON THAT!  If you do not believe me, go to Amazon and look at SOME of the recent winners of the Caldecott Award, it is a disgrace and an indication of the "dumbing down" of our society.  Just as Picasso's "modern art" was foisted upon the public as so-called genius, so it is, sometimes,  with Children's book art. Sorry for the rant, but this is a real pet peeve of mine, as a collector of beautiful illustration AND as an  artist. I protest mediocre art winning major Illustration Awards!  
Especially when there are glorious books like these below...

 The artists for these book are: Michael Hague, Helen Ward, Tim Haglin,  Jamichael Henterly, Maurice Sendak ( who actually has won a Caldecott) and Kit Williams.
I vote we return to the Golden Age of Book Illustration. 
And so, in ending, I just want to thank all the artists that take the time to create the most interesting , fun and joyful illustration for generations to enjoy. These are the books that stand the test of time.
(Excluding Dr Seuss, who's books have been around a very long time. But I have a confession to make, even as a kid, I thought the pictures were "very odd".)
 Now, tell me, what do you look for when searching out a Story book?