Illustrated Book Cover for Young Adult Novel 'Matariki Skies'
This vibrant cover illustration was created for an upcoming young adult novel by Kiwi author Justine Pickering. The story follows the lives of two teenage girls separated by time but connected by a shared bond that transcends generations.
In the image, the two protagonists stand side by side, arms around each other, gazing up at the Matariki stars that shimmer across the twilight sky. The mountainous landscape and the glowing green valley bathed in moonlight ground the scene in Aotearoa, while the luminous Southern skies evoke a sense of wonder and timelessness.
In the foreground, vibrant pōhutukawa blooms—New Zealand’s iconic summer flower—frame the path leading to the girls. Though these trees don’t naturally bloom during Matariki, their presence in this illustration is a purposeful and poetic juxtaposition. It symbolizes the different time periods the characters inhabit, and the enduring connection between them despite those differences.
The use of rich, saturated blues and reds creates a dreamlike atmosphere, perfectly complementing the themes of memory, identity, and belonging that run through the novel. This cover captures both the grounded beauty of Aotearoa’s natural landscape and the magical realism at the heart of the story.
