diff --git a/bookwyrm/static/css/bookwyrm.css b/bookwyrm/static/css/bookwyrm.css
index f8d3b5316..098424cc1 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/static/css/bookwyrm.css
+++ b/bookwyrm/static/css/bookwyrm.css
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ button {
 
     /* Corrects inability to style clickable `input` types in iOS */
     -webkit-appearance: none;
+
+    /* Generalizes pointer cursor */
+    cursor: pointer;
 }
 
 button::-moz-focus-inner {
@@ -64,6 +67,14 @@ button::-moz-focus-inner {
     overflow-x: auto;
 }
 
+.modal-card {
+    pointer-events: none;
+}
+
+.modal-card > * {
+    pointer-events: all;
+}
+
 /* stylelint-disable no-descending-specificity */
 .modal-card:focus {
     outline-style: auto;
@@ -148,6 +159,16 @@ button::-moz-focus-inner {
     display: inline !important;
 }
 
+img.is-fit-cover {
+    object-fit: cover;
+    object-position: center;
+}
+
+img.is-fit-contain {
+    object-fit: contain;
+    object-position: center;
+}
+
 /** File input styles
  ******************************************************************************/
 
@@ -429,6 +450,8 @@ details.dropdown .dropdown-menu a:focus-visible {
     display: flex;
     align-items: center;
     justify-content: center;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    gap: 1em;
     white-space: initial;
     text-align: center;
 }
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
index 27d061a28..e6823812a 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
@@ -61,24 +61,34 @@
 
     <div class="columns">
         <div class="column is-one-fifth">
-            {% include 'snippets/book_cover.html' with size='xxlarge' size_mobile='medium' book=book cover_class='is-h-m-mobile' %}
+            {% if not book.cover %}
+                {% if user_authenticated %}
+                    {% trans "Click to add cover" as button_text %}
+                    <button type="button" data-controls="add_cover_{{ book.id }}" data-focus-target="modal_title_add_cover_{{ book.id }}" aria-pressed="false">
+                        {% include 'snippets/book_cover.html' with size='xxlarge' size_mobile='medium' book=book cover_class='is-h-m-mobile' text_append=button_text %}
+                    </button>
+                    {% include 'book/cover_add_modal.html' with book=book controls_text="add_cover" controls_uid=book.id %}
+                    {% if request.GET.cover_error %}
+                    <p class="help is-danger">{% trans "Failed to load cover" %}</p>
+                    {% endif %}
+                {% else %}
+                    {% include 'snippets/book_cover.html' with size='xxlarge' size_mobile='medium' book=book cover_class='is-h-m-mobile' %}
+                {% endif %}
+            {% endif %}
+
+            {% if book.cover %}
+                <button type="button" data-modal-open="cover_show_modal" aria-haspopup="dialog"class="cover-container is-h-m-mobile">
+                {% include 'snippets/book_cover.html' with size='xxlarge' size_mobile='medium' book=book cover_class='is-h-m-mobile' %}
+                </button>
+                {% include 'book/cover_show_modal.html' with book=book id="cover_show_modal" %}
+            {% endif %}
+
             {% include 'snippets/rate_action.html' with user=request.user book=book %}
 
             <div class="mb-3">
                 {% include 'snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button.html' %}
             </div>
 
-            {% if user_authenticated and not book.cover %}
-            <div class="block">
-                {% trans "Add cover" as button_text %}
-                {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with text=button_text controls_text="add_cover" controls_uid=book.id focus="modal_title_add_cover" class="is-small" %}
-                {% include 'book/cover_modal.html' with book=book controls_text="add_cover" controls_uid=book.id %}
-                {% if request.GET.cover_error %}
-                <p class="help is-danger">{% trans "Failed to load cover" %}</p>
-                {% endif %}
-            </div>
-            {% endif %}
-
             <section class="is-clipped">
                 {% with book=book %}
                     <div class="content">
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_modal.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_add_modal.html
similarity index 100%
rename from bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_modal.html
rename to bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_add_modal.html
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_show_modal.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_show_modal.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8625962ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_show_modal.html
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{% load i18n %}
+{% load static %}
+
+<div class="modal" id="{{ id }}">
+    <div class="modal-background" data-modal-close></div><!-- modal background -->
+    <div class="modal-card is-align-items-center" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" tabindex="-1" aria-label="{% trans 'Book cover preview' %}">
+        <div class="cover-container">
+            <img
+                class="book-cover"
+                src="{% get_media_prefix %}{{ book.cover }}"
+                itemprop="thumbnailUrl"
+                alt=""
+            />
+        </div>
+    </div>
+    <button type="button" data-modal-close class="modal-close is-large" aria-label="{% trans 'Close' %}"></button>
+</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_cover.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_cover.html
index 0f6844822..829fbb658 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_cover.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_cover.html
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@
         >
         <figcaption class="cover-caption">
             <p>{{ book.alt_text }}</p>
+            {% if text_append %}
+                <p>{{ text_append }}</p>
+            {% endif %}
         </figcaption>
     </figure>
 {% endif %}