Suitable childrens typography

http://typophile.com/node/42632

here is a link to a blog showing some interesting aspects to think about when thinking about typography for a children's book. Things such as not talking down to a child and making it fun to look at and that the typeface needs to fit the theme. It also gives links to possible typefaces. Another consideration is that it depends how long or short the copy is as to what typeface you use. e.g  fancier for titles and short snippets of text and maybe a san serif typeface for longer paragraphs etc.

This shows a method given by fonts.com about what approach to take when looking for a typeface suitable for children. typefaces used are: Sassoon Primary, Gill Sans Schoolbook, Bembo Schoolbook and Plantin Schoolbook. I personally like Gill Sans Schoolbook as its warm, friendly with simple and open letter shapes suitable for my age group of 5 - 7 year olds. I think a sans serif typeface is more appropriate also, especially as this age group won't be competent readers, this will make it easier for them to read.


Below is an article from fonts.com. I think its a great resource when thinking about children's typography. Important considerations such as text legibility, making text readable and titles etc.

Typography for Children

Most children learn to read going letter-by-letter, learning which sounds go with which shapes until they can blend the sounds together to form words. This is why new readers proceed slowly and sometimes struggle with pronunciation and syllable stress.
The efforts of new readers can be supported by making sure their texts use inviting, easy-to-read typefaces, set in the most readable way.

Text legibility 
When selecting a typeface for a children’s text, look for a warm, friendly design with simple, generous letter shapes. The counters (the enclosed shapes within characters) should be rounded and open, not angular or rectangular. Avoid non-traditional letterforms. A good example of a typeface with these attributes is Sassoon Primary, designed specifically for children.
Typefaces with larger x-heights are generally easier to read than those with short x-heights, and this is especially true for children. For very young readers, select designs with one-story ‘a’s and ‘g’s (also called infant characters), since these are the lowercase shapes preschool and school-age children learn to write. Save the two-story versions for more experienced readers.
Either sans or serif designs can be used as long as they avoid any extremes that could impair readability. For example:
• Don’t use condensed or expanded typefaces, which make character recognition more difficult.

• Select a book or medium weight; stay away from hairline or very bold weights.

• If you plan to use italics, make sure they too are easy-to-read, and not overly condensed or stylized.

Both the serifed Bembo Infant and Plantin Infant, as well as Gill Infant, a sans serif style, have been designed for children and exemplify the principles above.


Making the text readable
New readers have to learn to follow words from left to right and “jump” their eyes from the end of one line to the beginning of the next. To make this easier, set the text large (14 to 24 point depending on the typeface and age of the reader) and with very generous leading (4 to 6 points).
Keep line lengths short, and don’t put too much text on a page. Dense blocks of type can be very intimidating to young readers. Avoid all cap settings, which are difficult for readers of any age!
Make sure there is ample contrast between the type and the background. This is especially true when setting light type against a dark background, as is common in heavily illustrated children’s books. When setting more than one paragraph on a page, consider using line-spaces instead of indents to separate paragraphs. This gives the text and the reader a visual break.


Headlines and Titles
Headline or title type gives you the opportunity to be more playful in style, color and layout, since there are fewer words to read. Decorated typestyles, lots of color, and curved and jumping baselines can all be used to attract and entertain the young reader. Keeping it light and fun is the key to keeping a young reader interested and turning pages.