Evaluating books by their covers. The influence of realism and complexity in photography on the appreciation by tweens

This research is the first that examined tweens’ appreciation of the use of realism and complexity in photography on book covers for children. Additionally, the level of agreement between tweens’ preferences and what adults think tweens appreciate is explored. Data were obtained through questionnaires filled in by 49 younger tweens, 44 older tweens and 125 adults. The results partly confirm the hypothesis that tweens prefer realistic photographs on book covers to unrealistic photographs. Results on the appreciation of the use of complexity in photography on book covers offer suggestions for future research. Next to that, the results showed that adults correctly infer the preferences of younger tweens, but incorrectly for older tweens. Finally, scientific and practical implications are discussed and suggestions for future research are presented