FEATURE Board Books

 

Want to write a board book? Published board book writer, Sumana Seeboruth gives us an insight into how to write for this age-group and how to increase your chances of getting published in this area.

Board books are typically targeted at the 0-3 year age group. Often no larger than 6x6 inches, they’re made of thick durable card to withstand inquisitive teeny hands.

The sizing of these books and material they are made of, make them expensive to produce, which is one reason why board books tend to be commissioned in-house.

But if you’re far from the desk of a publishing house, don’t be discouraged. There are other routes in, and I’ll share my top 5 tips on how to get there.

To Green!, by Sumana Seeboruth. Art by Maribel Castells

1. Find the Gap

 

Most publishers will have themes or gap they are looking to fill. 

 

When I submitted That’s Mine! a rhyming picture book, with 48 words, I didn’t know Barefoot Books were looking for concept Board Books that would work as bilingual texts for a Baby and Toddler Feelings and Firsts series.

 

Whilst I’d gone in with a picture book, the simple toddler monologue suited their board book brief. Be open – sometimes a manuscript might work for a format you hadn’t considered.

Sumana's books work brilliantly as bilingual texts. Art by Ashleigh Corrin

2. Size Doesn’t Matter (But Visibility Does)

 

Board books are often placed on the lowest shelves accessible to their young audience, but can be missed by the adult buyer. They also don’t get the prominence often afforded to their Picture Book, Early Reader Chapter Book and Middle Grade siblings. And then there are the ‘Celeb’ board book peers – televised characters or those written by celebrity authors. 

 

As such, a publisher may look for concepts that can launch or expand a series, to allow them to seat neatly alongside one another.

 

The First & Feelings Series began with That’s Mine! and Undies, Please! published in 2022, with a further pair that came out the following year. Not Tired! and Won’t Go! are the latest additions to the series and come out in May 2025.

3. Choose Your Words Wisely

 

Board Books are short, and could fit a ‘tweet’. But skimping on words does not equate to forgoing a credible and captivating narrative.

 

Selecting those all important words, is a little like standing in front of a pick and mix counter and choosing sweets for a child. In that moment, the excitement may get the better of you. So you fill the paper bag with sherbet spaceships, liquorice allsorts, chocolate-coated raisins, fizzy cola bottles, jelly babies and chocolate buttons.

 

But you soon realise as you hand the bag to the child, that it’s too full. They can’t see what they want as it’s buried beneath the liquorice and cola bottles. So you remove two-thirds and all that all is left are the chocolate buttons, jelly-beans and a handful of pastel paper spaceships – and most importantly, a happy child.

 

With board books it’s not just about the words. A perfect partnership exists with the illustrations filling the void of absent words. What you don’t write as text, keep aside as illustrative notes especially where the word contradicts the illustration. In Not Tired! the girl insists she is awake but her drooping eyes tell a different story.

England, by Sumana Seeboruth. Art by Ella Hobbis

4. Reflecting the Real World

 

A board book is often a child’s first glimpse into the world and early exposure to diverse board books fosters empathy, inclusion, and compassion. Children need to see themselves in stories, and equally see those that are different from them.

 

That’s why incidental diversity is important – not as a plot point, but as a reflection of the real world.

 

Won’t Go! is about a child’s reluctance to transition to a new part of the day – it just happens to feature two dads. Our World – England is about a day out in England – the grandparents accompanying their grandchild are biracial. By Myself! is about a younger sibling learning it’s okay to ask for help from an older sister (depicted as wearing a cochlear implant).

 

Through this, we don’t just normalize differences – we celebrate them.

5. Be Authentic

 

There are a number of themes that may appeal to a child – animals, numbers, emotions and daily routines are just a few. 

 

However, whilst themes may be universal, the way in which they resonate with a child may differ.

 

For example, a child with visual impairments may benefit from multi-sensory stories linking colours to familiar objects and tactile books. 

 

Having authors and illustrators come in and providing their own lived experience across all genres of publishing is crucial. It doesn’t just develop empathy, but promotes a way in which publishers, carers and practitioners (amongst others) consider the best way in which a child’s interest and involvement in books can be supported.

*

Breaking into board books can be difficult with many developed in-house. It’s important you research the Publishers and Agents you’re approaching. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Yearbook is a great resource for pinpointing where you should submit.

  

If you’re submitting a Picture Book idea, be clear on the proposed age-range, and state that the concept could work as a board book. Also, don’t just pitch the idea – sell yourself.  Your lived experience is an asset, so in those all important submission letters set out what it is that you can bring to the table and why your board book belongs in the hands of our youngest audience.  

 *All book cover images courtesy of Sumana Seeboruth, published by Barefoot Books. Header image cover art by Maribel Castells