When the potential customer steps into the bookshop to find something interesting to read, the firs thing that he/she will notice is the cover of the book. We can guess a lot from the picture on the cover – topic, style, genre, etc. A lot depends on the book cover. It is designed to attract our attention. The first impression can be made only once. Will it support the book or you won’t even take it from the table? The visual rhetoric that is used in the book cover can display the intentions of the writer. Looking at the cover, we can even predict the character of the writer. It is very important to choose the right visual elements that would unite the genre of the book and the position of the author. Try to look closely and deeply at the cover page and you will manage to see much more than the simple picture.
Looking at the cover of the book ‘Jamie’s Food Revolution’ written by Jamie Oliver one will understand what this book is about, even without reading the title. Everything is because of the carrots, leeks and all the greens that the man is holding in his hand. The way that he is holding them captures our attention. It gives the sense of importance to the greens. Together with the name of the book, ‘Jamie’s Food Revolution,’ one would immediately imagine that the man is holding the greens like the flag or the weapon. The cover of the book shows a bright and humorous picture. The front cover carries the image of the ‘revolutionary leader’ who is holding the greener. The whole attention is concentrated on him. The expression of the man’s face is very determined. Together with the carrots in his arm the man looks funny. It seems like he will go to war, and he will fight using the greens instead of weapon. The stripes on the background are spreading from the center that creates the illusion of the sun. The following accommodation has an interesting affect. It gives the focus to the figure of the man. It may seem that the stripes are making some kind of light that goes from the head of the figure, like the nimbus. The young man is made the center of gravity. The stripes are pulling the balance of the picture towards him.
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The front cover carries two images of the American flag. The first image is hidden, and one can think that the young man is a flag carrier. He is carrying the greens instead of the flag. The second image is illustrated on the background – red and white stripes. The same colors of the stripes are used in the American flag. Even the shirt of man is blue. All this facts help the reader understand what nationality the author is or to what country the topic of the book refers. Such small clues are used on the front cover to give the reader as much information as possible.
According to the color of the picture we can make the decision that Jamie’s food revolution is taking place in the United States of America. A close inspection shows that the color of the whole picture, especially of the stripes is not very bright. The image was made older on purpose. At the bottom of the cover page one can read the following words – ‘Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals’. The word ‘rediscover’ means that Jamie Oliver will show the old things from the other perspective. He will give the old and well-known meals the second life. That is why the old stripes were used together with the figure of the modern man. We can see that man is not from the previous era because of his hair dress and his shirt. These elements are used to show the contrast between old tradition and modern approach that will rediscover how to cook old known meals.
The fact that the cover page includes red color means that the author wants to attract our attention. The red color is very eye catching and it can be useful in case you want to draw attention to something. That is why this color is often used in the cover of books, and it may fit into the different genres. The usage of the red stripes on the background, which are spreading
from the center, together with the wide horizontal red stripe on the top of the cover page create interesting visual effect. Red color stimulates the reader to action; as a result he/she takes the book. The fact that the color is made older helps attract attention to it, as well.
The visual elements of shape, direction and color used in the cover for Jamie Oliver’s ‘Jamie’s Food Revolution’ prove that it is not a regular cookbook. As usually we can see fruits and vegetables, meals and drinks in the standard covers. Sometimes there is a figure of the woman with the apron depicted on the book. The potential customer is tired of the cliche. Gone are the days when cookbook covers looked the same. It is important to choose an appealing cover with high visual affect. The humorous figure carrying the greens produces the interest about the content of the book. The visual effects create positive feelings about the book and the author himself. The cover for Jamie Oliver’s ‘Jamie’s Food Revolution’ is modern and fresh, despite old colors.