A studio service
Busy book pages, painted to match.
A busy book is a set of pages with loose pieces a small child matches and sorts over and over. We paint the pages and the pieces together, so every piece fits its place, and deliver them as a printable set.
N° 01Pages that teach one thing
Pages that teach one thing
Match the shape, sort by colour, count the apples, dress for the weather. One idea per page.
N° 02Pieces with cutting guides
Pieces with cutting guides
Loose pieces are laid out on sheets with cut lines and marks for fastener dots.
N° 03Printed, not sewn
Printed, not sewn
We make printed busy books. Sewn fabric quiet books are a different craft that we do not produce.
N° 04Yours to sell
Yours to sell
You receive full commercial rights, so you can sell assembled sets or the printable files.
N° 05How it is made
How a book like this comes together.
01
The task list comes first
We list the tasks, one per page, and put them in order from easy to harder before painting.
02
A few large pieces per page
Each page has a small number of pieces, sized to be picked up and placed by small fingers.
03
A shape to match
The page shows an outline or a pale version of each piece, so the child can see where it goes.
04
Somewhere to keep the pieces
A storage page or pocket layout can be included, so pieces stay with the set.
05
A clear binding edge
A margin is left free of art on the binding side for ring holes or a spiral.
N° 06What goes wrong
Common mistakes, and how to avoid them.
01
Pieces too fiddly to cut
Shapes with thin points are slow to cut and tear quickly. Pieces get a simple outline with a border that scissors can follow.
02
A fastener dot over the picture
A dot placed after painting can land on a face. Dot positions are planned in the art.
03
A piece that fits two places
Two pieces of the same shape make a matching page unclear. Pieces differ in shape or colour unless the task needs them alike.
04
Art where the holes go
Punching through a picture spoils the page. The art stops short of the binding margin.
N° 07Your brief
What to send us to get started.
You do not need all of it. Send what you have and we will ask in writing for anything missing.
• The list of activities, one per page
• The age of the child
• Page size: Letter, A4 or both
• How the set will be bound: rings, a binder or a spiral
• Whether you will sell printable files, assembled sets or both
• A theme or characters to run through the set
N° 08Peek inside
Pages like these.
Sample artwork made by Kompanie to show the kind of pages we make. Not client work.
N° 09Investment
Three packages, fixed prices.
Little Book
From $1,125
Board books, first-words books and short picture books. 4–5 weeks.
- Up to 2 characters, with a character sheet
- Up to 12 pages and 8 illustrations
- Cover illustration and title lettering
- One revision round on sketches
- Print-ready PDF and ebook cover
Picture Book
From $2,175
A full 32-page picture book. 6–8 weeks.
- Up to 3 characters, with character sheets
- 15 illustrations plus cover
- Two revision rounds per illustration
- Endpapers and title page
- Print-ready PDF and fixed-layout ebook
Big Book
From $3,675
Longer books, nonfiction, cookbooks and books for older readers. 8–12 weeks.
- Up to 4 characters plus settings
- Up to 30 illustrations
- Diagrams, maps or step-by-step art where needed
- Two revision rounds per illustration
- Print-ready PDF, EPUB and fixed-layout ebook
Before you choose
What you get
- A fixed price for the scope listed
- Sketches or a first draft to approve before anything is final
- Print-ready and editable files, yours to keep
What we don’t do
- Writing or editing the story
- Printing and shipping
- ISBN, publishing account setup or marketing
- Translation
Extra pages, slides or revision rounds are quoted before we start them.
N° 10Questions
The answers we give most often.
- Do you laminate and assemble?
- No. You receive print files and an assembly sheet. Laminating, cutting and fasteners are done by you or your printer.
- What ages suit a busy book?
- Mostly toddlers and preschoolers. Loose pieces are small parts, so age labelling and safety testing are decided with your printer or lab.
- Can the set be made for both Letter and A4 paper?
- Yes. Tell us before we start, so the pieces and margins are planned to fit both sizes.
- How many pages fit a package?
- The Little Book covers up to 12 pages and 8 illustrations. How piece sheets are counted is confirmed in the quote.
- Which fasteners should I use?
- That is your choice or your printer's. We mark where the dots go on the pages and the pieces.
Start your book
Ready to make your book?
Tell us what you're making. You'll get a fixed price and a schedule within two business days.