Board books are a popular type of children's book, known for their thick cardboard pages and durability. But one common question parents have is: do board books contain the full, unchanged story compared to standard picture books? Or are they shortened or abridged versions?
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As a professional board book printing manufacturer, I decided to dig into this topic to provide a definitive answer. So let's explore whether board books tell the complete tale or just snippets.
The short answer is ' it depends! Some board books contain the full, unchanged story. However, many board books are condensed, abridged versions of longer stories that first appeared as standard picture books or novels.
So if you want the certainty of getting the complete narrative, you'll need to do a bit of research on each specific book. Generalizations don't always apply in the world of publishing!
Before analyzing this topic further, let's quickly define what a board book is.
Board books are designed for young readers, normally babies through preschoolers. They have the following distinguishing features:
The durable format prevents tearing while allowing tiny fingers to easily grasp and turn pages. So board books build early literacy skills while withstanding the rough handling small kids dish out.
Now that we understand the board book landscape, let's examine the issue of abridged stories.
Board books run the gamut from fully complete stories to significantly shortened versions. While some best-selling picture books are reformatted directly into board book versions without any changes, others undergo liberal editing to condense the text.
Here are a few key considerations:
As you can see, variation abounds. The editing process ranges from negligible to extreme.
In certain cases, modern picture books already have brief text blocks that easily translate to board pages without sacrificing meaningful content. But beloved, traditional tales sometimes require significant paring down.
If a full-length children's book undergoes excessive shortening before re-release as a board book, there are practical reasons driving this choice.
The main motivations for abridging stories during adaptation into cardboard format include:
Industry data shows that board books typically contain 24 pages or less. Very short books have as few as 6 ' 10 spreads.
Compare this to standard picture books which usually have 32, 36 or even 48 pages. Obviously stories with large word counts require massive cutting to squeeze into far fewer pages.
Since the sturdy cardboard pages are thicker than paper, board books contain substantially less sheets. A 300-word picture book could easily compress into 20 ' 24 board book pages.
But popular children's novels with 15,000+ words realistically cannot convert directly into a board book without losing much descriptive detail and storyline nuance.
Adding more pages increases production expenses. Because board booksAlready utilize costlier materials than typical paper children's books, publishers face budgetary pressures.
Cardboard paper options cost more per unit than the thin paper used in normal picture books. And shortcut binding methods cannot withstand board book page thickness. Various gluing options provide necessary flexibility.
Furthermore, laminate coatings improve durability but also raise costs.
When evaluating adaptation options for beloved classics, companies analyze potential profit margins from board book sales. Lengthy stories strain budgets. Trimming content decreases financial risk.
Since board books target infants through preschoolers, very young readership levels dictate age-appropriate language complexity. While a third grader might handle a full-length story, toddlers have limited vocabulary and inability to process convoluted passages.
Simpler words, less descriptive sentences, and straightforward plot progression aid early childhood comprehension. Excess verbiage taxes tiny attention spans. Getting lost amidst too many details or advanced grammar frustrates young kids.
Editors modifying stories into board books carefully subtract non-essential elaborations that could impede reading fluency for little ones. Removing lengthy descriptions focusing the highlights creates an understandable experience.
Publishers worried purely about profit margins analyze market demand before investing resources into adapting books into board format.
The deciding factor on whether to abridge always centers on expected commercial success. If profit projections appear weak for an unabridged version, editing happens. If confident strong sales await an uncut edition, original text gets preserved.
Extensive customer surveys might indicate certain lengthy classics would only sell if condensed. In those cases companies only proceed with abbreviated board book development, realizing unedited versions would fail financially.
Occasionally authors or illustrators participate actively in transforming their own books into board format. If artistic vision leans towards brevity or minimalism, unnecessary phrases face removal regardless of commercial factors.
Likewise, some creators revel in rich descriptive finesse; favouring indulgent specificity and flourishes. Those types resist excessive abridgment despite marketability considerations. Individual preference carries weight.
In other instances, living authors unfortunately cannot control posthumous releases. Inheritors influence editing decisions according to their own interpretations of what original writers might approve. But conjecture despite best intentions can distort initial creative impulses.
While some shortening helps early readers, extensive abridgment also backfires by confusing kids.
Vast oversimplification obliterates intricacies rendering stories overly vague. Stripping out minor side plots or nuances readers recall from full versions bewilders. Enjoyment suffers without those familiar touchpoints anchoring the narrative.
Likewise removing too many descriptors, adjectives or adverbs flattens rhythmic language patterns kids depend on. Flow disruption reduces engagement. And appreciation for writers' talents diminishes absent beautiful stylistic hallmarks.
Despite frequent whittling, many all-time classics reach eager tiny hands intact by foregoing edits. Let's examine some hugely popular children's books continuing entire stories within cardboard covers.
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Maurice Sendak's seminal tale Where The Wild Things Are brought revolution through acknowledging children's emotions. This full-length board book transports readers again to Max's imaginative land without missing descriptive lines enhancing the rich scenes.
Generations have delighted in the quirky charm of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar since its debut. Carle's collage artistry vividly emerges reformatted onto board book pages without abridging his humorous account of metamorphosis fantasy.
Margaret Wise Brown's hypnotic bedtime ballad Goodnight Moon captivates drowsy toddlers during its board book rendition identical to original text. Her dream-inducing verses and Clement Hurd's tranquil illustrations lose no potency despite forgoing paper and ink.
Conversely, many literary mainstays REGULAR undergo radical shortening upon adaptation into board format. Here are a few enormously popular titles published lately with condensed board book text compared to earlier pictorial or chapter book editions:
A.A. Milne penned the classic Winnie-The-Pooh starring a beloved bear of little brain but lots of heart. Disney abridged significant portions before releasing condensed board book versions of Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood adventures for contemporary tots.
Generations sobbed over Margery Williams' anthropomorphic ode to stuffed rabbits and real magic. Unfortunately the board book adaptation severely chops descriptive passages that lend the threadbare Velveteen Rabbit his poignancy and charm.
Louisa May Alcott's semi-autobiographical March sisters stories evolved into the seminal coming-of-age novel Little Women still touching hearts today. Regrettably this board book iteration eviscerates much witty dialogue and expositional prose germane to literary merit.
As evidenced, abridging practices remain inconsistent despite public perception. Even within similar genres, publishers apply highly variable editing strategies when translating stories into board book format.
Policies range from nearly verbatim reproduction to practically rewriting simpler plotlines. Consumers should understand unabridged text is not guaranteed unless specified during marketing.
Some companies proudly trumpet 'Complete, Unabridged Stories' as selling points differentiating their cardboard books from severely condensed versions on shelves nearby. Others intentionally truncate recognizing market realities favor simplification.
Caveat emptor remains prudent advice for gift-shopping caregivers seeking treasured childhood favourites for youngsters' emerging libraries. Not all editions equal earlier printings' artistry despite durable construction enticing early book handling skills.
So do board books tell the whole narrative? Sometimes yes, sometimes no! Abridgment frequency fluctuates widely. Generalizing misleads since practices diverge markedly even across imprints within publishers distributing multiple versions.
If obtaining full-length, accurate reproductions matters for bedtimes or nostalgia, carefully examining individual board book descriptions remains necessary rather than assuming all offer intact renditions. Concentrated browsing often unearths beloved texts transitioned meticulously cardboard formatting.
Conversely certain cynical truncations by copyright inheritors seeking purely mercenary gain undervalue original literary contributions altering public consciousness. Cultural legacy morphs obscured through overly commercial decisions. Financial temptations must balance with ethical considerations when repackaging creative vision shaping young minds.
Ultimately each family's preferences guide purchasing options for their unique circumstances and values. Just realize board book editing fluctuates unpredictably.
So choose favourites mindfully, understanding beloved classics might hide within sturdy cardboard covers ready for teething toddlers. But recognize abridgement risks fracture fairy tales into fragmented versions lacking original splendor.
Either way, early literacy blossoms remain priority. Nourish inquisitive brains through exposing tiny thinkers to worlds unfolding awaiting exploration during whichever journey unfolds. Reading rests among humanity's most empowering lifelong skills so inspire young ones by sharing any pages sparking insights.
Editorial Anonymous provided a great explanation of basic picture book construction a few months ago.
At that time, I skimmed the info. Today, I'm studying it.
Why? An editor asked me to make page breaks on my current manuscript. And know what? I had more page breaks than a 32-page picture book would allow! Whoops. I knew that my manuscript had to fall within the 500- to 800-word length, but I had neglected to pay attention to logical page breaks.
The editor said, 'Page turns can make or break a book, and it can be helpful to an editor to see how you envision the text.'
In a 32-page picture book, you don't actually have 32 pages for your story. You only have 24 pages since 8 are used for the book ends, copyright and title. And 24 pages translates to 12 spreads (an illustration that spans the two opened pages in a book).
Self-ended means that the printed book block serves not only for the story, but also for the end pages. No additional paper is used to form the book. The printed book block is pasted directly onto the cover.
Another common format is colored ends. This means colored paper (different from the printed book block) is used for the end pages. With colored ends, you'll gain an additional 2 1/2 spreads since more of the printed book block is available for story.
Some picture books have single-page illustrations instead of spreads. One of my favorite devices is when a group of three things are illustrated on one page. But this isn't done on every page. A debut author's work might be laid out only in spreads to save on costs (it's less illustrations to produce), so you may want to think mostly in spreads. As always, publishing is a subjective industry, so this will vary by editor.
You may be asking, why do I need to know this? Won't the editor and illustrator figure out the page breaks? Sure, they will. Some may not even ask for your page-break input. However, you can write a more appealing picture book if you understand the format for which you're writing. Knowing the page turns will improve your story's pacing. You'll realize which scenes may have too much text. You can make page turns surprising and fun.
So give it a try. Take your current PB and plug it into the format. Does it fit?
I just took a random sampling of 7 picture books from my collection. Interestingly, none had self-ended construction. They all had colored ends. Here's how they broke down:
I don't think I'll ever look at a picture book the same way again. My kids are going to be frustrated if I count spreads while I read to them!
It's interesting to note that Cowboy Camp and Spaghetti Eddie are both by debut authors. Cowboy Camp is illustrated in spreads, whereas Spaghetti Eddie is told with mostly single-page illustrations. This 'illustrates' that publisher preferences vary (as do manuscripts)!
Keep in mind that when you submit your manuscript, you should do so in the standard format, unless the submission guidelines specifically request that you mark page breaks.
Some editors will never ask you for page breaks, some will insist upon them. Remember that this is a subjective industry where there are many rules to follow but many places to break them, too.
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