You’ve got visuals flowing. Your colors are vibing. Now let’s talk about something that sneaks under the radar but makes or breaks your children’s book: fonts.
Choosing the right typeface for your story is about more than looks — it’s about clarity, emotion, and readability. Especially for children who are learning to read, the wrong font can make even the best story hard to follow.
The good news? You don’t need to be a typography nerd to get this right. In fact, once you know a few simple rules, choosing the perfect font becomes one of the easiest wins in your DIY book process.
Let’s break it down.
What Makes a Font “Kid-Friendly”?
Kids' books have special needs. Your font should be:
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Highly legible (even for emerging readers)
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Emotionally in tune with the story
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Big enough for little eyes
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Clear in similar letterforms (so “l”, “I”, and “1” aren’t confusing)
Avoid overly ornate, script, or compressed fonts. And skip anything that screams PowerPoint 1997 (looking at you, Comic Sans 😅).
3 Types of Fonts That Work for Picture Books
Let’s simplify your choices:
1. Rounded Sans-Serif Fonts
These are the go-to. They’re smooth, friendly, and super easy to read.
Examples:
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Poppins – modern, circular, playful
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Baloo 2 – bold and bubbly
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Fredoka One – chunky and cartoony
Perfect for: cheerful, upbeat stories, early readers
2. Handwritten or Marker Fonts
These add personality without sacrificing readability. Great for giving a sense of a child’s voice or playfulness.
Examples:
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Patrick Hand – neat, handwritten feel
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Gloria Hallelujah – casual and fun
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DK Cool Crayon – looks like it was drawn by a kid
Perfect for: journaling-style books, diary formats, school-themed stories
3. Decorative Display Fonts (Use Sparingly)
Use these only for titles or big sound effects — never for body text.
Examples:
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Luckiest Guy – comic-style
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Bangers – superhero energy
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Chewy – wiggly, fun, very readable
Perfect for: emphasis, page titles, or onomatopoeia like “BOOM!” or “WHEEE!”
Size Matters
For body text:
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Stick to 18pt to 24pt depending on your book size.
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Leave plenty of space between lines (aka line height or leading).
Rule of thumb: If it feels a little too big, it’s probably just right for young readers.
Where Should You Place the Text?
There’s no one rule — but here are a few strong options:
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In a white space bubble on the illustration
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At the top or bottom edge of the page (if your image is full-bleed)
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Within a semi-transparent box to keep it readable over complex art
Avoid placing text directly on top of busy illustrations unless you fade the background or simplify it behind the text.
Tools for Font Pairing
If you’re using Canva, Book Creator, or Affinity, you’ll likely have access to font pairings. But here’s a quick cheat sheet:
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Header: Chewy / Body: Poppins
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Header: DK Cool Crayon / Body: Patrick Hand
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Header: Luckiest Guy / Body: Fredoka
Want more help? Try:
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Google Fonts – free, web-safe, and super versatile
Bonus: Embedding Fonts for Print
When you go to publish (especially with tools like InDesign, Affinity Publisher, or even Canva for print), make sure your fonts are embedded or converted to outlines to avoid weird text issues.
Most self-publishing platforms (like Amazon KDP or IngramSpark) handle this if your file is exported as a PDF/X or print-ready PDF.
Your Tiny Assignment
Pick a body font and a title font for your book. Type one page of your text using both. Then test it:
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Print it out
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Ask a child (or yourself) to read it aloud
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See how it feels
This little test will show you fast whether your choice works.
Fonts are where words meet visual storytelling. Tomorrow, we’ll tackle something most first-time creators overlook: how to add visual sound effects, motion, and play to your illustrations without clutter. Think zoom lines, sparkles, or movement tricks — all the little extras that make your book pop.
You’re doing awesome. Your book is starting to look like… well, a real book. 💬📖✨
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