If anyone knows how to judge a book by its cover, it’s Chip Kidd. The longtime Knopf graphic designer is behind countless iconic covers, including Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, David Sedaris’ Naked and Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84, and has an eye for creating startling jackets to convey a book’s content.
“A good book jacket both invites you into the text and acts as a distillation of it,” Kidd says. “Then, during the course of your reading the book (especially if you like it), the cover becomes like a best friend’s favorite shirt.”
Kidd’s new book, Judge This, details how he takes in commonplace design details in his world throughout his day. TIME asked him to name five of his favorite classic book covers — plus one of his own.
Jaws
By Peter Benchley
Designer: Paul Bacon
The Postman Always Rings Twice
By James M. Cain
Designer: Arthur Hawkins, Jr.
Charlotte’s Web
By E.B. White
Designer: Garth Williams
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
By Chris Ware
Designer: Chris Ware
Detective Comics #27
By Bill Finger
Art by Bob Kane
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
By Haruki Murakami
Designer: Chip Kidd
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