Farout and Faraway: A customized cover

[Judith Crabb]

I've been impressed with the enthusiastic support or criticism directed at illustrators of Blyton's books. I have my favorites and Dorothy Wheeler is one of them. By 1990 I realized that it was unlikely that anyone on an ordinary income could afford a dust-jacketed First Edition of 'Up the Faraway Tree' a book I had been craving close on forty years. Pocket money clasped in sweaty palm as a child I would visit town in my summer holidays but no one had ever seen the book. So in my forties I settled for a 1991 Red Fox paperback, but I disliked the cover illustration by Gerry Embleton and Peter Dennis, not at all subtle. Only Dorothy Wheeler seemed to recognize that people with a 'moon face' did not have a moon sitting on top of their necks but simply a very round face. So I looked around for a picture to cover the front and rear wrapper of my new paper-back. I found a damaged dust-jacket - I forget the book it was from (perhaps another Blyton?) - cut out a picture of 'Pixie' Lodge, a teahouse in a tree with lucious-looking tarts being delivered on a plate and fixed it under the title on the front cover while for the back I chose a small picture of a rabbit following a 'sweets' signpost along a branch. I carefully covered the book in non-adhesive plastic. I have made a unique cover for a favorite book.
I'd love to read a similar story. Are there any out there?

[Fiona1986]

My mum ruined her paperback of The House at Red Roofs and replaced the cover with a white sheet of paper with a house drawn on it, does that count?

[Judith Crabb]

Definitely. I've seen a great variety of home-made covers, sometimes dust-jackets which are more faithful to the stories than the printed covers. Some of course are pretty basic but if I had the genius of an Arthur Rackham or an E.H. Shepard I wouldn't be cut and pasting - I'd be drawing my own.

Inappropriate dust-jackets. Now there's a topic worth pursuing.

[Ice_Gemz]

Not personalised or created, but as a youngster I thought the books looked better without the jackets and removed them from several of my books, some long lost since.

I kick myself now however, as an adult who understands the beauty and value of the original dust jackets and as one who cringes as photocopied versions.