Children’s book illustrationHow many pages, how many pictures?
In short: Kitapdoku’s illustrators illustrate your children’s book; we lay it out and print it. Picture books usually run to 24–32 pages with a picture on every spread. The reader’s age sets the page count and how much text a page holds. We quote illustration once we have seen the book’s plan; plan it below and see the printing price straight away.
1Title page
2–3Imprint · story begins
4–5Illustrated spread
6–7Illustrated spread
8–9Illustrated spread
10–11Illustrated spread
12–13Illustrated spread
14–15Illustrated spread
16–17Illustrated spread
18–19Illustrated spread
20–21Illustrated spread
22–23Illustrated spread
24–25Illustrated spread
26–27Illustrated spread
28–29Illustrated spread
30–31Illustrated spread
32Last page
Pages
The choices move in steps of 4 pages, as the binding requires.
- Pictures14 across two pages
- 15
- Text
- 300–800 words
- Printing, 100 copies₺98.77 each
- ₺11,852.40
A picture and a few sentences on every spread. The picture tells what the text leaves out. The printing price assumes every page in colour on the heaviest interior paper in our catalogue; illustration is quoted separately.
Picture books by age
The reader’s age changes every measure of the book: the page count, the text on a page, how often a picture comes.
- Ages 0–3First book
Short rhythmic lines or single words. The pictures carry almost the whole story; the child reads with an adult.
16 pages · up to 100 words · a picture on every spread
- Ages 3–6Picture book
The preschool picture book. The text is written to be read aloud, the pictures tell what it leaves out, and turning the page builds suspense.
32 pages · 300–800 words · a picture on every spread
- Ages 6–9Early reader
The child has just learned to read. Short sentences, large type, short chapters; the pictures give the reading a rest.
48 pages · 1,000–3,000 words · a picture every other spread
These ranges are common practice, not rules. We plan your book around your text together.
Why pages come in fours
In a saddle-stitched book every sheet is folded in half and carries four pages. A 32-page book is 8 sheets, nested inside one another and stapled through the fold.
So if your story runs to 30 pages, the book is made up to 32; the spare pages become a dedication, an about-the-author page or a blank last page. The illustration is planned to that count.
Pictures are read with the text
In a picture book the picture is not decoration: it tells what the text leaves out and makes you turn the page. That is why illustration is planned with the text, page by page; which sentence falls on which spread, and where the page turns, is settled from the start.
You send your text
Tell us about your story and the book you have in mind: the reader’s age, the length, any examples.
We plan the pages
We divide the text into spreads, so which picture goes on which page is settled.
Our illustrator draws
The pictures are drawn to the plan and laid out with the text.
Your book is printed
The print-ready book is printed in the quantity you choose.
Frequently asked questions
How many pages does a picture book have?
Usually between 24 and 32. Books of 12–16 pages for the youngest and 48 pages or more for early readers are common too. In a saddle-stitched book the page count is a multiple of four.
How many words should a picture book have?
Books for ages 0–3 rarely go past 100 words; picture books for ages 3–6 run to 300–800 words, and early readers to 1,000–3,000. These are common ranges, not rules.
Why should the page count be a multiple of four?
In a saddle-stitched book every sheet is folded in half and carries four pages; a 32-page book is eight sheets. If your story runs to 30 pages, the book is made up to 32, and the spare pages become a dedication or a last page.
What paper is a picture book printed on?
Pictures sit best on thick, opaque paper; coated papers bring out the colours. The printing price on this page assumes every page in colour on the heaviest interior paper in our catalogue.
How is illustration priced?
We quote once we have seen the book’s plan: how many pages, how many pictures, which run across two pages. Send us your text and we will work out the plan and the price with you.
Can I print a book with my own illustrations?
Yes. Upload your print-ready file in the calculator. We check your file for print before taking payment.
Let your story find its pictures
Send us your text; we will work out your book’s plan and the illustration price with you.