Wondering how long your new children’s board book should be? As an expert children’s board book printing manufacturer, I can tell you that board book length is an important consideration if you want your book to succeed.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about ideal children’s board book page count, including:
- The most common and best-selling lengths
- Page count guidelines by age
- Average number of words per page
- How length impacts production costs
- Tips to optimize book length for success
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how many pages your next children’s board book should have for the best shot at connecting with young readers.
What’s the Most Common Children’s Board Book Length?
If you analyze popular board books sold on Amazon and in major bookstores, a few key lengths stand out from the crowd:
12 pages – Extremely common, especially for simple concept books. Fold-out pages can allow you to tell a longer story at this length.
14 pages – Another very common length that allows for a little more story.
18 pages – Not quite as common as 12 or 14 pages, but still a nice length for simple narrative board books.
24 pages – Along with 12 pages, this is one of the most popular board book lengths on the shelves. It works well for short stories or information books.
26 pages – Slightly less common, but some best-selling titles like “Goodnight Moon” are this length.
Out of all these options, 12 and 24 pages make up around 30% of total board book sales. So if you’re unsure about length, either of those options are a safe bet.
Honorable Mentions: 10, 16, 20, 28, and 32 Pages
While less common overall than the lengths above, board books with 10, 16, 20, 28, or 32 pages also sell well for certain concepts and age groups.
For example, a 10 page lift-the-flap book can work great for toddlers. And some best-selling bedtime books like “Time for Bed” are 16 pages long.
Books in the 20 to 32 page range allow authors a little more room to tell a story, so they can be a good option if you feel like you need more than 18-24 pages.
Just keep in mind that books longer than 24 pages will cost more to produce, which eats into your royalty. More on that soon!
Ideal Board Book Length by Age
Along with analyzing the most common lengths, it also helps to think about page count guidelines based on your target age group.
Here are the ideal board book lengths for young readers at different developmental stages:
Newborn to 12 Months: 6 to 10 Pages
Books for newborns don’t need much content, since babies mostly just want to look at and touch the pages at this age.
Keep books very simple, focusing on high contrast colors, patterns, and familiar objects. Tactile elements like texture and lift flaps also capture little ones’ attention.
1 Year to 2 Years: 10 to 16 Pages
As toddlers start actively looking at books on their own around 12 months, you can increase length into the 10-16 page range.
Simple concepts, familiar objects, and basic storylines work best. Fold out pages and lift flaps also help keep restless toddlers engaged with books.
2 Years to 3 Years: 16 to 24 Pages
Two year olds begin understanding basic narratives and have longer attention spans, so 16-24 page board books work well.
Keep text minimal and focus on telling engaging stories mostly through pictures. Interactive elements are still helpful to keep this age group turning pages.
Over 3 Years Old: 20 to 28 Pages
Preschoolers over 3 can handle longer board book stories, especially if the concept grabs their interest.
While 24 pages is still common, lengths up to 28 pages allow a little more room for layered narratives that keep kids in the 3-5 age range engaged.
Breaking Down Ideal Page Count by Type of Book
Along with age guidelines, it also helps to tailor board book length base on what kind of story or information you want to share.
Here are some best practices to follow:
Alphabet and Concept Books: 10 to 16 Pages
Simple alphabet books, counting books, shapes books, and basic concept introductions are well suited to shorter board book lengths.
There’s only so much you can say about a letter, number or shape to keep it interesting before kids lose focus.
Nursery Rhymes and Songs: 12 to 20 Pages
Classic nursery rhymes and popular children’s songs adapted into board book form often follow a 12, 16 or 20 page structure.
This allows simple verse-chorus-verse storytelling without too much repetition across pages.
Bedtime Stories: 16 to 24 Pages
The sweet spot for bedtime board books that tell a complete narrative story is often 16-24 pages. This provides enough content to take young readers on a journey without overwhelming them before sleep.
Educational Information Books: 20 to 28 Pages
Board books focused on teaching informational content around science, nature, vehicles, animals, etc. can benefit from roomier page counts.
Little academics love to soak up facts, so more pages allow you to broaden the amount of educational content you can deliver.
Average Number of Words Per Page in Board Books
Along with optimizing page count, you also need to pay attention to word count per page as you write your manuscript. Too many words risks boring or confusing young readers.
Here are guidelines for ideal words per page in board books:
- Toddlers (1-2 years old) – Between 3 and 8 words per page
- Preschoolers (3-5 years old) – Between 8 and 15 words per page
The younger the target age, the less words should be on each page spread. This helps ensure text doesn’t overwhelm the pictures storytelling.
To give you a broader idea of overall word count targets by age, here’s an at-a-glance overview:
- Baby Board Books: 100 words or less
- Toddler Board Books: 100-250 words
- Preschool Board Books: 250-500 words
Keep these word count guidelines handy as you draft your manuscript. Following them will increase the potential that your book resonates with young readers.
And if you’re looking for more specific information on crafting captivating picture book content, check out my detailed guide on writing children’s books.
How Page Length Impacts Board Book Printing Costs
Whether you plan to traditionally publish or self-publish, page count has a direct impact on the cost of producing your board book.
The more pages in your book, the higher the overall production expenses will be. Key costs affected by length include:
- Paperboard – More pages require more raw cardboard material. Paperboard alone can account for up to 70% of overall printing costs.
- Printing – Every page added increases ink, equipment usage, and labor time to print a batch of books. Depending on page count demands, a printer may even charge you “setup fees” to prepare their equipment.
- Binding – Physically assembling all those pages into a book requires more glue and binding equipment time the higher your page count goes.
4 Tips for Optimizing Board Book Length
Here are my top tips for strategically maximizing your chance at success through smart page count planning:
1. Analyze Competing Titles First
Before deciding on page length, browse Amazon’s top board books in your genre and make notes on common lengths. This allows you to emulate books already resonating with your target readers.
2. Outline Your Story Scope First
Draft up a basic outline before committing to page count. This allows you to tailor pages directly to the scope of the actual story or content flow you want to craft.
3. Get Print Quotes for Multiple Lengths
Price out your book at a few potential lengths first, using my board book cost calculator. This shows you the exact impact page changes have on production budget.
4. Remember That Less Can Be More
While more pages allow more storytelling, don’t go overboard solely for word count purposes. More focused, concise content keeps young readers engaged.
Carefully weighing options using the tips above ensures your book ends up the ideal length to meet the needs of your audience.
Now that you know all about optimizing children’s board book page count, the next step is applying this knowledge to planning your own manuscript and book specs.
Start Crafting Your Own Successful Board Book
Choosing the right page length sets your new board book up for resonance with young readers right from the start.
You now have all the information needed to make informed decisions on target length.
To easily put what you’ve learned here into action, make sure to grab my FREE children’s book launch checklist. It guides you through the full book creation process from initial planning to final publication.
First you’ll storyboard and outline your manuscript to determine ideal scope…
Then you’ll draft compelling content within the word count per age guidelines…
And finally you’ll receive tailored board book templates and printing quotes to bring your book vision to life!
The competition for attention in the children’s book market is fierce these days. Optimizing the fine details – like exact page count – can be what elevates your book above other options on shelves and screens.
So don’t leave length to chance in hopes you’ll simply figure it out as you write. Proactively set clear page number targets right from the start using what you now know.
Doing so will directly boost your likelihood of creating a best-selling title the littlest readers just can’t get enough of!
With strategic planning around ideal length and engaging storytelling, your board book is sure to end up in many future bedtime reading piles.