A book where your child is the main character
Not their name dropped into someone else's story. A story written around who they actually are — what they love, who's in their family, and what you want them to take from it.
A4 hardcover $39.99 delivered, digital copy included · Digital-only $14.99. Preview the character, cover and first five text pages free before you pay.
The difference
There are two ways to make a child the main character
The first way is to insert them. A story is written in advance, illustrated in advance, and your child's name and appearance are dropped into it. It works, and some of these books are genuinely beautiful — but the story itself is the same one every other child receives. Your child is in the book. The book isn't about them.
The second way is to compose the story around them. You start with the child — their age, what they're into, who they live with, the dog, the teddy that can't be washed, the thing they've been worried about lately — and the story is built from there.
That's what we do. Your child isn't cast in a role. The role is written for them.
If your daughter is obsessed with hedgehogs, the hedgehogs go in the book. Not as a detail on page four — as a reason the story happens.
What makes it theirs
The story
- Age — 0–2, 3–5, 6–9, or 10+, which sets the reading level and pacing
- Theme — quests, daily discoveries, celebrations, historical worlds, and more
- Subject — what the adventure is actually about
- Message — courage, curiosity, friendship, self-belief, whatever they need this year
- Language — English, Spanish, French, German or Dutch
- Illustration style and font — from watercolour to gouache to 3D animation
The child
- Their name and character — the hero the whole story is built around
- Favourite things — the toys, animals and obsessions that shape the plot
- Family and pets — parents, siblings, grandparents, the dog, all in the story and the artwork
- A photo of your child — one required reference, with up to two optional references for family, pets or a favourite toy
- A Pinch of Magic — the one specific detail that makes it unmistakably theirs
This is the field that does the most work. It's where you tell us the thing that only you would know.
She sings everywhere she goes. He won't sleep without the green dinosaur. She looks for rainbows after it rains. He's been nervous about starting school.
Small things. But they're the difference between a story about a child and a story about your child.
See it done
Every example below started as a handful of choices, the same ones you'll make. The Pinch of Magic is the line that turned each one into a story that couldn't belong to anyone else. These are demonstration books we made ourselves, not real customers' children.
Review the words before the final illustrations
Here's the honest risk with a story composed from scratch: it might come back nearly right. The wrong tone, a detail misread, a sibling written out.
First, see their character, cover and five opening text pages for free. Try a different story or cover before deciding to buy. After payment, read and edit the full manuscript. The final story illustrations are created after you approve the words.
Read every word
The full story after payment, before the final illustrations.
Approve their character
The likeness, before it's used across 15 pages.
Change anything
It's a draft until you say otherwise.
A 30-page book, theirs alone
- 30 A4 pages — 15 story pages and 15 full-page illustrations
- A4 hardcover, $39.99, including delivery, local VAT and the digital copy
- Digital-only book, $14.99
- Choose your format first, preview the cover and first five text pages free, then pay once
- Review and edit the full story after payment, before the final illustrations are created
- An optional personal foreword printed inside
- Available in five languages
Questions
How is this different from a book with my child's name in it?
Name-personalised books insert your child into a story that already exists — the same story every other child gets. We write the story around your child instead, using their age, interests, family, and the message you want it to carry. Every book is different because every child is.
Do I need to upload a photo?
Yes. One clear photo of the child is required to draw their character. You can optionally add up to two more references for family, pets or a favourite toy. Here's how we handle them.
Can family members and pets be in the story?
Yes. Parents, siblings, grandparents and pets can all appear in both the story and the illustrations. Several of our example books have a parent or a dog in the lead alongside the child.
Can I read the story before it's illustrated?
Yes. After payment, read the full story and request changes before approving it for illustration. You can give specific instructions for a revision. Check the words carefully: approving them starts the final illustrations, followed by the PDF and automatic printing for hardcover orders.
What ages does it work for?
Four bands: 0–2, 3–5, 6–9 and 10+. The band sets the reading level, sentence length and story complexity.
How long does it take?
Writing and checking your free preview takes several minutes. After payment and your approval of the full story, we create the illustrations and PDF. Timing varies, and you can follow progress on your book page. Hardcover printing and delivery take additional time and depend on the destination.
Can I make one for a child who isn't mine?
Yes — grandchildren, nieces, nephews, godchildren. Add a personal foreword and it becomes a book only they could have been given. You'll need enough detail about them to make the story specific, which usually means a quick word with a parent.
What if the story isn't right?
Before payment, preview the first five text pages and try a different story or cover. After payment, read and edit the complete manuscript before the final illustrations are created. See our refund policy if something goes wrong.
How much is it?
$39.99 for the A4 hardcover, including delivery, local VAT and the digital copy. Digital-only is $14.99. Choose your format first, preview the character, cover and first five text pages free, then pay once if you want the book.
Write them into it
Choose their age to start a saved draft. Shape the story, read every word, approve their character — then watch them find their own name on the cover.
Create their bookHardcover $39.99 delivered, digital copy included · Digital-only $14.99 · Free preview before payment