Design a memorable book cover for a young adult fiction story

Mantee

CC Woods

“Mantee” is an adventure story for young adults. It's the tale of a manatee who becomes friends with a teenager and they go on a journey together in hopes of making it to Florida before winter.

Grades 9 - 12, but also new adults (20's)

I'd like three things to appear on the front cover in some fashion:

1. The title: Mantee -- If it's possible for the title to stand out, that would be great. For instance, if you were across a room and saw someone reading the book, you'd be able to make out the title, or if you saw it on a tiny thumbnail on Amazon, the title would be clear and and readable. I am going to make videos of people reading the book in different situations to help market the story, so was thinking it might be nice if the title was legible and popped out in pictures.

2. A manatee. -- If a manatee could be somehow represented on the cover, that would be great. It could be a simple outline or more realistic, I'd leave that up to you. This book is intended for teenagers and up, so I wouldn't make the animal too cartoonish. Something simple, or elegant, or quirky or cute could work. I'm hoping to portray manatees as cool and stylish. Manatees are calm and gentle creatures of the sea, they have a peacefulness about them. Overall, I'd like people to be intrigued by the cover.

3. The author’s name: CC Woods --- This doesn’t need to be prominent or large, the title and manatee image are more important.

The only text that should appear on the back cover is a quote from the story:
“It was nice here in ‘Lantic City, but I couldn’t help thinking about the approaching fall weather. It was a big problem. Deep in my heart I knew Mantee couldn’t go back to NYC, too many gangsters. She couldn’t stay in Jerzee either, it was mid-August and soon to be freezin’. So I made a big decision then and there, I had to get Mantee to Flurda, whatever it took.”

I’d like a design that’s simple, classic, and timeless. I’d like this cover to appeal to both males and females. I'd like it to be intriguing and memorable. The selling point of the book is the manatee, so the cover should spark people's curiosity and make them want to read a story about a sea creature they may not know much about. The trim of the book is going to be 5.25 x 8 inches. The book will be approximately 70 pages in length.

Please avoid any design where the title gets lost in the background. The title should stand out.