I Hope You’re Listening
I Hope You’re Listening is a page-turning whodunnit, told from the point of view of a lesbian teen detective who secretly moonlights as a true crime podcast host. 
As both the designer and illustrator of this cover, I chose to feature a scene in which the main characters are engaged in a search party for a missing girl. The figures are in silhouette, their flashlights roaming the woods — and even landing on one another, suggesting that they are all suspects. The protagonist is shown calling out into the darkness, tying in nicely with the title. My own favorite little design element is how the barcode is integrated into the art, partly hidden by the eerie foliage. 

I Hope You’re Listening
Written by Tom Ryan
Designed and illustrated by Aphelandra
Published by Albert Whitman & Company
Awards & Accolades for I Hope You’re Listening
Best Bets 2020 List
2021 Lambda Literary Award — LGBTQ Mystery
2021 Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence,
Finalist for Best Juvenile or YA Crime Book
2021 Best Books for Kids & Teens Starred Selection, 
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre
2022 Tayshas Reading List, Texas Library Association
2022 ALA Rainbow Book List