Family keepsakes
A story starring a child, a grandparent or a family pet, printed as a real paperback for a birthday or holiday.
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AI children's book generator for picture books
Describe a character and a small problem. Bookhatch writes the story one scene per page, illustrates it in the style you choose and lays it out in full color for KDP.
- Ages 2–7
- 12–30 pages
- 8.5 × 8.5 in
- Premium color
- 15 styles
Hedgehog's Night Lights
When the sun went down, Hedgehog pulled his blanket up to his nose. “Too dark,” he whispered. Then the moon leaned over the hill, round and kind, and lit the way to bed.
How it works
From a story idea to a printed picture book
Describe the story
“A shy hedgehog afraid of the dark” is enough. Add an age range and an art style, such as watercolor, soft pastel or paper cut-out.
Approve the plan
Read the text for every page with a note on what each picture shows. Rewrite lines and reorder scenes before any art is made.
Review the pages
Illustrations arrive two at a time with the text set beside them, so you can see the book come together.
Download the files
A full-color interior PDF, a full-wrap cover and listing text with age range and keywords.
What you get
Full color, square and ready to read aloud
Picture books commonly sell as 8.5 × 8.5 in squares printed in premium color. Short books still need 24 pages in total for KDP, counting the title and end pages.
- One scene per page, with the text sized for reading aloud
- Characters described once in the plan and reused for every picture
- Art styles for picture books and gentler ones for bedtime
- Full-color layout with art that runs to the page edge
- A cover in the same style, sized for KDP's premium color paper
Spec sheetPicture book · 24 pages
Trim8.5 × 8.5 in
PaperWhite · premium color
Story pages12–30
Spine0.056 in · no spine text
Cover file17.306 × 8.750 in
Printing (Amazon.com)$4.20 per copy
Royalty at $12.99$3.59 per copy
Art styles
Fifteen illustration styles
Painterly, textured, crafted and digital looks. The same character is shown here in each style, so you can compare them directly.
Who it's for
Picture books with a reason to exist
First-time children's authors
Get a complete illustrated draft of the story you've been telling, then refine the words and redo pages until it's right.
Series publishers
Keep a character consistent across several books and build a small series on one theme.
Ideas to start from
- Afraid of the dark
- First day of school
- A new baby sibling
- Learning to share
- Moving house
- A lost toy
- Seasons on the farm
- Counting animals
- Brushing teeth
- Saying goodbye to a pet
- Kindness to a new friend
- A trip to the seaside
Bedtime stories
Stories that wind down
Choose the bedtime type and the story changes shape: shorter sentences toward the end, repeated lines children can join in with, and a calm last page that ends in bed, not on a cliffhanger.
Bedtime books suit ages 2 to 6 and run 12 to 30 pages. Soft pastel and paper cut-out styles keep the colors gentle, which also tends to print well on KDP's premium color paper.
KDP rules
KDP rules for picture books
What Amazon's print rules mean for this kind of book, and how Bookhatch handles each one.
| Topic | What KDP expects | What Bookhatch does |
|---|---|---|
| Trim size | Square sizes such as 8.5 × 8.5 or 8.25 × 8.25 in are common for picture books. | 8.5 × 8.5 in by default. |
| Ink and paper | Premium color for rich illustration. Standard color is cheaper but needs at least 72 pages. | Premium color on white paper. |
| Bleed | Art that reaches the page edge needs 0.125 in bleed on the top, bottom and outside edges. | Pages are built with bleed, and text stays inside the safe margins. |
| Page count | At least 24 pages in total. | 12–30 story pages plus title and end pages. Check the total reaches 24. |
| Spine text | Only on books with more than 79 pages, so most picture books have none. | Spine text is left off automatically when it isn't allowed. |
| AI disclosure | AI-generated text and images must be disclosed when you publish. | A reminder at export. |
Sources
- KDP Help: Set trim size, bleed and margins
- KDP Help: Paperback submission guidelines
- KDP Help: Print options (ink and paper)
- KDP Help: Content guidelines (AI-generated content)
Checked against KDP's help pages on 6 November 2026. KDP changes its rules from time to time, so confirm anything important on KDP's own pages before you publish. Bookhatch is not affiliated with Amazon.
Example cost
What one book costs in credits
A 16-page picture book uses about 558 credits, roughly $3.35 on the Starter plan. Illustrations are most of the cost, at 25 credits each.
The free 300 credits plan the book and write the whole story; illustrations and the cover need a plan or a $10 top-up.
| Part of the book | Credits |
|---|---|
| Book plan | 60 |
| Story text, about 730 words | 51 |
| 16 illustrations × 18 | 288 |
| Cover | 45 |
| Listing text | 2 |
| Total, about $3.35 at the Starter rate | 558 |
FAQ
Questions about picture books
Will my character look the same on every page?
Bookhatch writes a description of each character once, in the plan, and uses a reference image for every illustration. Characters stay much more consistent than with one-off prompts, but check each page and redo any that drift.
What size are picture books?
8.5 × 8.5 in square by default, printed in premium color on white paper. It's a common size for children's picture books on Amazon.
How long is the story?
Picture books for ages 3–7 and bedtime stories for ages 2–6 run 12 to 30 pages, with a sentence or a short paragraph per page. KDP's minimum is 24 pages in total, including title and end pages.
Can I edit the text before the pictures are drawn?
Yes. The plan shows the text and a scene note for every page. Change anything you like, then start the illustrations.
Can I redo one illustration?
Yes. Redraw any page and only that page uses credits (25 per illustration).
Why premium color rather than standard color?
Standard color is cheaper per page but KDP requires at least 72 pages for it, which is longer than most picture books. Premium color also gives richer illustrations.
Can I publish it as a Kindle eBook?
Bookhatch makes paperback print files. A Kindle edition of a picture book needs a fixed-layout eBook, which you would make separately.
How much does a picture book cost?
About 558 credits for 16 pages, roughly $3.35 at the Starter rate. Each illustration is 25 credits.
Guides
Before you publish
Publishing
How to publish a children's picture book on KDP
Length, square trims, premium color, bleed and safe areas, consistent characters, pricing and the listing.
Read the guide · 9 min →RulesKDP's AI content rules: what to disclose and when
AI-generated vs. AI-assisted, worked examples of what to declare, and how to publish an AI-made book responsibly.
Read the guide · 7 min →FormattingKDP paperback specs: trim size, paper, bleed and margins
Trim sizes and page limits, the four ink and paper options, bleed, margins by page count, spine width and image rules.
Read the guide · 10 min →Other book types
Coloring book maker →
Clean black line art with closed shapes, one design per page and blank backs so markers don't bleed through.
Activity & puzzle books →
Mazes and word searches on any theme, with a printed answer key at the back. Puzzle pages cost no credits.
Novel & short story writer →
A chapter-by-chapter outline you approve, then full chapters typeset in a classic book layout with a painted cover.
Write the story you've been telling at bedtime
Turn it into a printed book. Start with 300 free credits and no card.
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