For better or worse, this was my original cover design concept. While I don’t proclaim to be a designer, I spelled out all the elements of the book cover, and this first version was pretty close to what I had envisioned for my book. (I placed many children’s picture books next to my mock-up to ensure mine would stand out online and on the shelf.) 

Of course, there have been iterations since this first version to arrive at the approved cover you see today. Note the sun, title font, bunny, Macie’s hair, clothes, and boots, just to name a few. 

My name written in the soil was not my idea. But when I saw it from the design team, I loved it. Let creatives be creative! 

Peter Contardo