BEST OF 2013: Favorite Book Trailers

Happy New Year! New Year's Day is traditionally the time for looking forward, but first we would like to  look back on the year that is past. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting about our favorite books of 2013. But before I identify our Best Books of 2013, we thought it might be nice to whet your appetite a bit!

So here are our favorite Book Trailers of 2013... Don't they make you want to read the book?!


Honorable Mentions


The Dark by Lemony Snicket & Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
I love seeing the use of lights and shadows from the book in full animation.



Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Appropriately eerie and intriguing.



Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker & Tom Lichtenheld (Illustrator)
An abbreviated version of the book, wonderfully brought to life with vivid animation. Is it bad that I enjoyed the trailer more than the book? I wonder if the e-book has enhanced animation...



Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by Dave Sedaris
I love that the trailer is built around the title itself. It's funny and a little bizarre, as we have come to expect from Mr. Sedaris :)



The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Short, but powerful. And the sound editing is genius.



Pawn by Aimée Carter
Simple, but appealing. I'm getting a bit burned out on dystopian fiction, but this trailer does such a good job of quietly establishing the the world setting and creating a bit of mystery that I find myself intrigued.



Rump by Liesl Shurtliff
This trailer truly captures the book's tongue-in-cheek humor. Also, the narration and added sound effects are perfect.



Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel
I really like the shadows and contrasts of this 3-color trailer..


 
Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle
I loved this wordless picture book, and adding music and animation almost perfectly replicates my experience of reading the book.


 
I Am Blop! by Hervé Tullet
An imaginative and colorful introduction to a fun concept book. I like that it goes beyond the book to show real-world applications. Its beginning reminds me somewhat of a PBS promo.


 
Journey by Aaron Becker
The magisterial wonder of the picture book is brought to life in this trailer. I love that the animation is only very slight, allowing the illustrations to shine, and the musical clip perfectly echoes the sense of magic and discovery the book brings.


 
Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman
I usually hate author intros in book trailers—but this is Neil Gaiman :) Like the book, this trailer takes itself none too seriously and kids will get as kick out of the silly humor.




Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
The simple narration is compelling, and the music, text, and imagery work together perfectly to instill a sense of eeriness and intrigue.


The Top 5

#5

More Than This by Patrick Ness
Intense, dramatic, and ultimately intriguing. It sets the stage for the mysteries of the book without giving anything away.


#4
 
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Is it cheating to choose a series of trailers? If it is, then I guess I'm a cheater. I love how these trailers build on one another and let the characters' inner thoughts shine, giving equal time to each of the alternating narratives. I think the excerpts from Park's POV are particularly affecting. Oh, and the animation is great too.


#3

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
This highly polished trailer has it all: spooky narration, striking animation, and interest-inspiring testimonials. And it successfully conveys the basics of the plot (or the setting at least) without giving away any of the particulars. Probably because of the mood-setting music, it sort of makes me think of an animated version of a Harry Potter movie trailer. Which is a perfect reference for this Potter-like faiy tale.


#2

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis
The use of animated illustrations here is fantastic, as is the comedic timing. The music and sound effects (whistling, scribbling, etc.) are spot-on.


#1

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith
Creepy and completely captivating, atmospheric and oh so mysterious. It leaves me feeling as if I watched an entire short film and eager to see/read the expanded version. Unfortunately, according to Hatchette, the book won't be released until April 2014—and I can't wait. (Though the UK edition comes out two months earlier...)


So, those are our favorites from 2013. If you want more great Book Trailers, please check out our Book Trailers and Other Videos board on Pinterest!