The endpapers of a book are the pages where one half is pasted against the inside cover and the other serves as the first free page.
My current 2 books that I’m working on have no endpaper designs. Which made me think about the endpapers that I have designed over the years ………
Catch that Kitten by Pamela D. Edwards Published by PanMacmillan
Some are purely decorative ……….
I’m Big Enough Now by Pamela D. Edwards published by PanMacmillan
This set that I drew for Nosy Crow has beautiful foiling on it and sparkles when the book is opened…..
Because I Love You by David Bedford
Sometimes the endpapers are really elaborate. Look at this one that I illustrated for The Bluebell Woods series…..
Written by Liss Norton published by Little Tiger Press
These endpapers also formed the cover and opened out to reveal the secret little world of 4 lovely woodland friends. They neatly folded inwards where the apertures overlapped one another, framing an image of the main character of the story. This was particularly difficult to design. I had to think about both sides at once! A bit tricky for my brain!
You can see the rest of this lovely series in the ‘Books’ section of this website.
Often endpapers are an after thought, the last thing to illustrate. But sometimes they are a really important start, enticing you into the book.
These endpapers from the Ruby the Duckling series written by Jonathan Emmett gave you a little clue about Ruby’s character……..
Published by PanMacmillan now available on Amazon
Another lovely book written by Jonathan Emmett was Foxes in the Snow and probably my most detailed endpapers ever!
The front papers showed the opening scene of the story. Take a look…….
Written by Jonathan Emmett and published by PanMacmillan
And the endpapers at the back of the book closed off the story when the snow had arrived….
Written by Jonathan Emmett and published by PanMacmillan
They took a long time to do but I am SO glad we did them!! I think they are one of my favourite sets.
Traditionally the endpapers are the place to put bookplates or the owner’s inscription. I like the fact that they are an added extra, a decorative touch, a little secret to discover when you open the cover. Like having a beautiful lining on your coat the endpapers make the book even more special and something to keep and treasure .