Minimum page count?

[ladyofthecastle]

So I am working on a children’s picture book about different types of families using animals. If you are a penguin you might have two daddies if you are a sea gull you might have two mommies, sort of thing. My question is do children’s books have an unspoken minimum page count? I have been told standard is 20 or so pages but at the moment I only have 14 is that ok?

 

[Maggie Maxwell]

Apparently 32 pages is about as close to a standard as you're gonna get, but 16 is doable. I don't know for sure myself, but doing some googling suggests that picture books pages are generally in multiples of 8 (minimum 16, 24, 32, 40, maxing at 48). So if you can get one more two page spread, you'll be good enough for the minimum. Also make sure you're considering title page and copyright page in your count.

 

[Maryn]

My understanding--this is not what I write--is that it's 16 pages for very young children, 32 for older. Not a number in between, the reason being how books are manufactured. It involves the folding of very wide pages in half and stitching down the center fold--called booking them--in groups of eight sheets, which is how many the stitching machine can handle.

I have no idea if this is still true, but it's easy enough to check. Go to the children's section of the bookstore, or the new children's books at the library, and count the pages (or check their numbering, if they're numbered). It'll also give you a better understanding of what's selling.

Maryn, who loved many of her young kids' books back in the day

 

[ladyofthecastle]

Apparently 32 pages is about as close to a standard as you're gonna get, but 16 is doable. I don't know for sure myself, but doing some googling suggests that picture books pages are generally in multiples of 8 (minimum 16, 24, 32, 40, maxing at 48). So if you can get one more two page spread, you'll be good enough for the minimum. Also make sure you're considering title page and copyright page in your count.

i did not think about the title page and copyright page. So i do have 16 after all. =)

 

[neandermagnon]

Have you included single parent families and families were kids are being raised by aunts/uncles/grandparents, or unrelated people (e.g. foster carers, adoptive parents) - if you haven't included all these possibilities and you need extra pages this could give you extra pages.

note: I read something recently about gay male penguins adopting eggs that have been left behind - might be something for another page.

 

[ladyofthecastle]

Have you included single parent families and families were kids are being raised by aunts/uncles/grandparents, or unrelated people (e.g. foster carers, adoptive parents) - if you haven't included all these possibilities and you need extra pages this could give you extra pages.

note: I read something recently about gay male penguins adopting eggs that have been left behind - might be something for another page.

i do have single parent families but i don't have unrelated people unless you count the gay penguins