Picture to StoryMake a book

Personalised Christmas books for festive reading

A personalised Christmas book puts your child at the centre of a wintry festive tale, illustrated from a single photo. Picture to Story creates a 32-page book with 15 illustrated story spreads, shaped around the details you choose. Start by sharing your child’s name, age and a few preferences, then choose an art style and adventure. You can include the small things that feel right for your family, whether that means a snowy Christmas Eve, thoughtful giving or a busy festive setting. The amount of text is matched to your child’s age, from babies up to age 10. Before you pay, you can see the cover free, giving you a simple way to check the look and spelling before ordering.

See 20 story ideas
Cover of “Ava and the Missing Rainbow”, a personalised picture book starring Ava

Christmas book ideas

Pick one to see the story, how the first page could read and who it suits. Each one starts with your child’s photo.

Ages 4-7Your child Wraps a Thoughtful GiftWhen your child wants to find just the right Christmas present for a friend, the busy high street offers plenty of tempting choices but no clear answer. By remembering the little things their friend enjoys, your child chooses, wraps and gives a gift that shows they have been paying attention.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 5-8Your child's Snow Day PostWhen deep snow closes the village paths on Christmas Eve, your child finds a postbag full of cards, parcels and kind notes waiting to be delivered. With careful steps and help from a small robin, your child links neighbours together before the evening lights begin to glow.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 3-6Your child and the Shy ReindeerOn a snowy Christmas Eve, your child notices a quiet reindeer hiding near the stable while the sleigh team prepares to leave. By sitting patiently, sharing small tasks and listening carefully, your child helps the reindeer feel ready to take its place.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 4-7Your child's Christmas Eve WorkshopOn Christmas Eve, your child becomes the workshop’s careful helper, sorting a muddle of toy parts before the doors close. When a small bell goes missing, your child follows gentle clues around the busy benches to put everything right.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 2-4Your child and the Lost MittenWhen your child finds a small red mitten in the snow on Christmas Eve, they decide it must be returned before the market closes. Following gentle clues from stallholders and winter visitors, your child discovers who is missing it and brings a little warmth to a chilly evening.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 6-9Your child and the Carol Sheet Mix-UpWhen a gust scatters the song sheets before the Christmas Eve community singalong, your child spots that every verse has landed in the wrong pile. With careful reading, listening and help from a cheerful robin, your child puts the running order right before everyone is due to sing.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 4-7Your child Builds a Snowy ShelterOn a snowy Christmas Eve afternoon, your child notices tiny tracks near the hedge and gathers friends to make a warm shelter from twigs, leaves and woolly scraps. As the light fades, small winter creatures find cover inside, and your child learns how practical kindness can brighten a cold day.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 0-2Your child's First Christmas LightsYour child spends Christmas Eve noticing the soft, bright things around home: lights on the tree, a scarf by the door and faces gathered close. As each gentle glow leads to another cosy moment, your child settles into a calm first festive evening.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 4-7Your child and the Empty StockingAt a Christmas Eve gathering, your child notices one lonely empty stocking among all the full ones by the fire. Quietly, your child gathers a handful of thoughtful little surprises, leaving them for whoever might find them.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 3-6Your child's Little Tree for the HallYour child takes a little tree to the shared hall on Christmas Eve and decides which homemade and colourful decorations will make it welcoming. With help from neighbours, your child finds a place for every bauble, paper chain and kind note.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 3-6Your child's Reindeer Training DayOn a crisp Christmas Eve, your child is invited to a snowy training field where the reindeer are preparing for their big night. As each reindeer shows a special strength, your child helps the whole team practise working together.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 5-8Your child Finds the Winter FootprintsOn Christmas Eve, your child spots a curious trail of prints crossing the frosty fields and follows it beyond the hedgerows. At the end of the trail, your child finds a young fawn that has wandered from its family and helps it find its way home before nightfall.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 5-8Your child Delivers Winter SoupOn a frosty Christmas Eve, your child joins a grown-up helper to take a flask of warm soup and bread rolls to neighbours along their snowy street. At each doorstep, your child shares a cheerful chat and discovers how a small visit can brighten a cold afternoon.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 2-5Your child's Cosy Christmas KitchenOn Christmas Eve, your child helps with simple jobs in a warm kitchen, from stirring the bowl to choosing biscuit shapes. When the tray is nearly empty, your child decides to save the final biscuit for someone else.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 3-6Your child's Festive Train RideOn a snowy Christmas Eve train ride, your child notices that several passengers could use a little company. By sharing a seat, a snack and a favourite story, your child helps the carriage feel warm and cheerful before everyone reaches home.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 6-10Your child and the Mixed-Up ParcelsOn Christmas Eve, a snowy gust scatters the labels from a mountain of lookalike parcels, and your child is asked to help put every one in the right place. By reading clues, listening carefully and checking each detail, your child brings calm back to the parcel room before the night is over.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 5-8Your child's Winter Lantern WalkOn Christmas Eve, your child carries a handmade lantern along a snowy park path and notices a younger child who is uneasy about the dark. By sharing the light and walking together, your child helps the child see the familiar park in a calmer, brighter way.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolourAges 6-10Your child and the Toy Repair TableOn Christmas Eve, your child discovers a quiet toy workshop where cherished, worn toys wait to be mended before new homes can welcome them. With the workshop keeper, your child sorts missing parts, tests gentle fixes and learns that giving something a second chance can be a thoughtful Christmas gift.Snowy North Pole · Coloured pencilAges 4-7Your child Makes Room at the TableOn Christmas Eve, unexpected guests arrive at your child's home after snow disrupts their plans, and the table is suddenly too small. Your child finds extra chairs, folds napkins and creates a welcoming place for everyone to share supper.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 7-10Your child and the Moonlit Sleigh MapWhen the sleigh route map blows into the snowy night, your child must follow its marked landmarks before the team can set off. With a pocket torch, a patient reindeer and a sharp eye for clues, your child brings the map safely home.Snowy North Pole · Storybook watercolour

Choosing a Christmas story for your child

Start with the kind of festive atmosphere your child already enjoys. A child who loves animals may be drawn to a snowy scene with reindeer, while one who likes making and doing may enjoy a story set around preparing presents. Think about whether they prefer gentle, cosy moments or a more active adventure. Their age matters too: younger children often enjoy clear pictures and simple events, while older children can follow more detail in the story. Add a few familiar touches when answering the questions, but keep the choices focused. One or two meaningful details can make the finished book feel especially close to home.

When to read a festive book

A personalised Christmas book can become part of the build-up to the day itself, rather than something saved for one hurried moment. Try reading it on a quiet evening after school, at bedtime during December, or when the weather keeps everyone indoors. If your child is excited or finding the wait difficult, a familiar story can offer a calm pause in a busy season. Reading it more than once also gives them time to spot details in the illustrations and remember what happens next. If you are giving the book as a present, leave time to read it together when there are fewer distractions.

How a Christmas story can prompt kind conversations

Festive stories often make room for simple conversations about helping, sharing and noticing other people. As you read, pause over a picture or a moment in the plot and ask what your child thinks they would do. There is no need to turn story time into a lesson; a short chat about lending a hand, choosing a thoughtful gift or including someone can be enough. Because your child is pictured in the book, they may be particularly keen to talk about the choices their character makes. It is also a lovely chance to hear which parts of Christmas matter most to them.

Questions

How is a personalised Christmas book made?

You answer a few questions about your child, including their name, age, preferred art style, adventure and little details. Picture to Story uses one photo of your child to illustrate them as the main character in a 32-page book with 15 illustrated story spreads.

Can I see the cover before I pay?

Yes. You can see the cover free before paying, so you can check how your child appears in the chosen art style and make sure the details look right.

Is the book available as a digital or printed copy?

Yes. The digital book is ready about 10 minutes after ordering. Printed paperback and hardcover copies are also available, with shipping included.