Picture the way the book will be read.
Clarify whether the experience is shared reading, independent reading, an activity-led format, a keepsake or a gift. Think about the reader’s distance from the page, how an adult and child may hold the book, how long they pause on an illustration and whether a page needs room for instructions, captions or repeated text. This makes the format choice more useful than selecting a size from an image alone.
Use a page plan to shape the story rhythm.
Lay out the story, text and illustration moments in reading order before every spread is polished. Mark where a page turn creates a reveal, where a scene needs room to breathe and where a reader must find a key line quickly. A page plan can be a simple storyboard, but it should identify the relationship between text, image, page number and any content that crosses a centre area or finished edge.
Review type and artwork at the intended reading size.
Small text, labels, speech bubbles, page numbers and detailed illustration elements can feel very different on paper from how they appear on a large screen. Review the proposed trim and orientation at real reading scale. Check contrast, line length, space around text, cropping and the parts of an image a reader must notice. A beautiful full-screen illustration is not automatically clear once it is reduced to the final book size.
Treat spreads and edge-sensitive artwork as project-specific.
Some illustrations are designed to run across a spread or to the finished edge. Identify these early and keep a note of what must remain visible. The final treatment depends on the confirmed format, template and construction, so do not apply a generic safe-area or gutter rule from another book. Review each important spread in the context of the actual page sequence.
Organise content, rights and versions.
Give text, illustrations, cover elements and any translated editions a clear naming system. The customer should hold or confirm the rights and permissions for supplied text, images, logos and credits. Where there are different language, market or edition versions, record exactly what changes so that a final proof is not assembled from mixed files.
Proof the book as a reading experience.
The final review should move through the pages in order. Check story rhythm, page numbers, captions, cover copy, illustration crop, important details near an edge and the person responsible for approval. A proof helps make the confirmed project specific; it does not turn a screen layout into a universal promise about every material or production route.