Tales of Akuaba the River Swimmer
Client: Bertha Asabea Addo | Services: Book Cover Design | Year: 2024
The Challenge
The task was to design a children’s book cover for “Tales of Akuaba the River Swimmer”, a story celebrating Akuaba’s triumph over a near-fatal river incident and highlighting the importance of perseverance. The challenge lay in visually capturing the book’s spirit of courage and joy. The image the client initially envisioned for the cover, while relevant, lacked vibrancy and failed to evoke the enthusiasm or positivity the story deserved. My goal was to either enhance the existing image to bring it to life or source an alternative that would more effectively convey the book’s uplifting message.
The Approach
I sourced an alternative image that more accurately captured the essence of the story and used my photo manipulation skills to create a vivid, suitable scene. At this stage, the final title lockup had not yet been placed on the design. Since the client was insistent on using her preferred image, I decided to fully develop my concept while also producing a version based on her chosen image. This allowed her to compare both options side by side. In the end, the juxtaposition made the difference clear; she chose my concept for its stronger visual impact and alignment with the book’s uplifting theme.
The Value
The chosen design not only resonated with the client’s vision but was also deemed more suitable for an international audience, particularly for distribution on platforms such as Amazon. Beyond creating a visually compelling and culturally relevant cover, I ensured that the design met all of Amazon’s publishing standards from sizing and resolution to layout and bleed specifications streamlining the client’s path to publication. This attention to both creative impact and technical requirements gave the client confidence that her book would stand out in a competitive global marketplace while being ready for print without additional revisions.
“You have done a great job. I will tag you along my promotion on social media.”
— Bertha Asabea Addo, Writer & Founder, Akua Asaa Blog