I should start this JudgeABook post by pointing out a great flaw in my reading life: I have never read any Diana Wynne Jones. I Know! For someone like me, how could it be that I've got this far in life without having read any? I don't know... I own 4 or 5 of her books, I've just never gotten around to reading any.
So, that aside, I thought that one of hers would be perfect to judge purely on its cover, as I can't be influenced by any prior knowledge of her style or anything.
I've picked one that I've got sitting on my shelf: The Pinhoe Egg. I have to say, when Harper Collins started re-branding her books with similar jackets to this, I thought they were making a good move. This one (and quite a few of her others, I guess) are illustrated by Tim Stevens.
For me, I find this cover eye catching, and full of promise. I don't know what the story is about at all, but there's frogs falling from the sky, goblin-y things that are in a tree that looks like he might play a role himself, a unicorn, a boy on a horse, and (my favourite element) a washing line full of undergarments loosed to the wind. All of these surround a giant egg balancing on a bush.
Step 3 is going to be a bit harder this time round. Let's see how I go:
Impatiently prodding his lazy mare, the boy tried not to
lose sight of the bizarre kite tail carried on the wind. This was not what his
mother had meant when she told him to hang out the washing. He knew that if it
reached the wood those strange blue tricksters would give him no end of grief
trying to retrieve them. Not to mention the enigmatic whisperings of the trees
themselves.
Suddenly, he heard a cracking noise, spun his head and found
he was staring at a great speckled egg, with the tip of a colourful beak emerging
from the top. Knowing it would change the course of his whole day (not knowing
it would change the course of his whole life) he got off the feeding mare and
stepped toward the hatchling.
Find it on Goodreads
