Existing book cover analysis'

Illustrated in 1982 by illustrator Caroline Holden, the first edition cover for the first of the Adrian Mole series communicates the stage of life Adrian is in; being a teenager. The illustrations feature a razor; most likely referencing Adrian going through puberty, although the juxtaposition with the childish toothbrush is trying to create a level of humor (although whether it's successful or not is to be discussed) and also indicate to the viewer the theme of the book. 

The novel is regarded as being a very humorous book which details the rather self absorbed yet innocent actions of the character, this cover however i believe does not give any insight in to the genre or theme of the book whats so ever. The color pallet is dull, of course the time period needs to be considered, however if this edition was to be published today i believe the sale figures would be much different. 

The second cover is a slightly more successful design in communicating more of an idea based on the narrative of the book. The typography used is considered; it has a childlike quality to it; relating to Adrian's age- although this is quite at obvious approach, the audience is predominantly young teenagers (although it should be noted that the brief requires a design that's suitable for a wide range of audiences). 

The 'secrecy' of Adrian's diary is presented through the illustration with a book covering his face; again a very obvious approach. 

The color scheme is more vibrant and suitable for children more so that the previous cover, although the background looks rather sparse. 

  

The third design is the most contemporary of the three, the combination of type really works well in communicating the stage of adolescence Adrian is in, with the slightly sketchy quality of the capitalized serif type attempting a level of maturity, which is then contrasted with the hand writing of Adrian. 

The imagery used on the cover is what i believe really makes the cover adaptable to a range of audiences, it's humorous, subtle and appropriate. 

The darker colour pallet is not one i would of initially considered due to the bright coloured conventions of children's books however the navy painted like background along with the white and green are really appropriate for the books narrative and for a range of audiences.