WHEN THE
MOUNTAIN
WAKES

Designing a classic in the making

When the Mountain Wakes is a sweeping, profound and ambitious picture book by author/illustrator, Matt Shanks. As a powerful reflection on hope and healing, the publisher, Affirm Press (Simon & Schuster Australia) feels that the book is a classic in the making. They were therefore willing to invest in elevating the production of this piece so that it would feel like a "forever book", a classic keepsake.

I've designed the cover to portray the life and hope that is at the book's core. A dust jacket conveys a premium feel – a lush frame of vegetation, highlighted with a high-gloss finish draws the audience in and centres focus on the mountain. The title typeface is timeless, yet approachable and copper-foiled accents in the illustration add to the luxe feel. Endpapers illustrated with pink skies provide a bold contrast with the luscious green of the dust jacket flaps. Peeking underneath the jacket, there is a moment of delight in finding the sleeping mountain awake on the book's boards and more elegant copper foil.

In designing this book cover, I worked seamlessly with Matt to devise the layout for which he created specific illustrations and delivered the final press-ready artwork to the publisher.