Genre guide · Children & YA
Board Books: word count & book length
How long a board books book should be, which trim sizes suit it and what that means in printed pages. Typical length: 0–300 words.
About board books
Sturdy paperboard books for babies and toddlers. Very short text, rounded corners and durable laminate are the norm; most are offset-printed.
Printed length in recommended trim sizes
| Trim | Pages at 11 pt | Spine (white) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 x 6 in Square | 24–24 pages | 0.05–0.05 in |
Tips for this category
- Board books are rarely available via print-on-demand — get offset quotes.
About Board Books
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images in picture books can be produced in a range of media, such as oil paints, acrylics, watercolor, and pencil. Picture books often serve as educational resources, aiding with children's language development or understanding of the world. Three of the earliest works in the format of modern picture books are Heinrich Hoffmann's Struwwelpeter from 1845, Benjamin Rabier's Tintin-Lutin from 1898 and Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit from 1902. Some of the best-known picture books are Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings, Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat, and Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are.
From the Wikipedia article “Picture book”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Most-published board books works in Open Library
| Title | Author | First published | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Night Before Christmas | Clement Clarke Moore | 1857 | 389 |
| Winnie-the-Pooh | A. A. Milne | 1925 | 187 |
| The Very Hungry Caterpillar | Eric Carle | 1969 | 178 |
| The Classic Tale of the Velveteen Rabbit | Margery Williams Bianco | 1900 | 168 |
| Goodnight Moon | Margaret Wise Brown | 1947 | 143 |
| Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram | 1994 | 129 |
| We're Going on a Bear Hunt | Michael Rosen | 1746 | 119 |
| The Tale of Peter Rabbit | Beatrix Potter | 1920 | 102 |
| 'Twas the Night before Christmas | Clement Clarke Moore, Anonymous | 1912 | 97 |
| Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? | Bill Martin Jr., Eric Carle | 1967 | 82 |
Open Library lists 9,107 works under this subject.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a board books book be?
What trim size is best for board books?
Sources & data
- Subject statistics from Open Library.
- Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).