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Personalised books for doctor, dentist and hospital visits

A personalised book about going to the dentist gives your child a calm way to meet an unfamiliar situation before they are in the waiting room. Picture to Story creates a 32-page picture book with your child as the main character, illustrated from one photo of them. You answer a few questions about their age, preferred art style, adventure and small details, then see the cover free before paying. The story can make room for the ordinary parts of a visit: arriving, waiting, meeting helpful adults and going home again. It can also introduce other healthcare settings, such as a doctor’s appointment, a vaccination, new glasses or time in hospital, in age-appropriate language. Choose from storybook watercolour, animated film (3D), bold cartoon or coloured pencil.

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

Doctor, dentist and hospital visits 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 4-8Your child Stays at HospitalYour child packs pyjamas, a favourite comfort item and a book for an overnight stay at hospital. With friendly staff explaining each new part of the room, your child finds a calm routine for the evening and wakes ready to go home.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 3-7Your child Gets Their VaccinationOn vaccination day, your child goes to the clinic with a trusted grown-up, with plenty of time to look around and ask what will happen. By taking the appointment one small step at a time, your child finds their own quiet way to be brave.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 3-7Your child's New Glasses DayYour child visits an optician’s shop to choose a pair of glasses, trying on colourful frames and looking in the mirror. Once the glasses are ready, your child heads around their hometown to notice favourite familiar things in crisp new detail.Their own home town · Coloured pencilAges 4-6Your child and the Wobbly ToothWhen your child notices a tooth wobbling at breakfast, they head to the dentist with plenty of questions and a brave plan. From the waiting-room fish tank to the big chair and tiny mirror, your child discovers each part of the visit one calm step at a time.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 3-6Your child's Morning at the DoctorYour child goes with their grown-up to a morning GP appointment, where there is time to check in, wait and explain how they feel. The doctor listens, carries out a simple examination and sends your child home with a proud wave.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 2-4Your child's First Dentist Check-UpYour child visits the dentist for a first check-up, noticing the waiting room, the friendly room and the very big chair. With a grown-up nearby, your child opens wide as the dentist counts each tooth, then heads home knowing what a check-up can look like.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 4-8Your child and the Hearing TestYour child visits a quiet hearing room, puts on headphones and listens for tiny sounds, one at a time. With a friendly grown-up nearby, your child discovers that careful listening can be a small, manageable job.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 3-6Your child Meets the Eye DoctorYour child visits the eye doctor and discovers that an eye test is a chance to look at pictures, try different lenses and say what looks clear. With a grown-up nearby, your child takes each small part of the appointment at their own pace.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 3-7Your child's Visit to the Children's ClinicYour child arrives at a bright children's clinic with a grown-up and learns the simple steps of an appointment, from saying hello at reception to meeting a friendly clinician. With time to look around, ask questions and choose a sticker, your child sees what the unfamiliar place is like.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 5-9Your child Has a Blood TestYour child goes to a blood-test appointment with a grown-up and follows each small step, from checking in to choosing a quiet activity afterwards. Along the way, your child notices the people, rooms and equipment, and practises asking questions when something is new.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 3-7Your child's Hospital Day VisitOn a planned hospital day visit, your child arrives with a grown-up, checks in and follows the day one step at a time. From a quiet wait to meeting hospital staff, the story ends with your child heading home the very same day.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 4-8Your child's Plaster Comes OffIt is time for your child to return to the clinic, where a friendly clinician checks their plaster and carefully takes it away. With a familiar grown-up nearby, your child notices each small step, chooses a bright sticker and heads home feeling proud.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 4-8Your child Has an X-Ray PictureWhen your child visits the imaging room, a staff member explains that they are going to make an X-ray picture. Your child listens carefully, keeps still for a short moment and gets to see the unusual picture at the end.Their own home town · Coloured pencilAges 2-4Your child Takes Teddy to the DentistYour child brings Teddy along for a dentist visit, where Teddy needs some brave support before having his own teeth counted. Together, they wait, sit in the big chair and discover that looking after Teddy gives your child an important job.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 5-10Your child's Scan AppointmentYour child goes to the hospital for a scan appointment, with a parent beside them from the entrance to the waiting room. As kind staff explain each step, your child practises listening, staying still when asked and finding calm things to notice.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 2-5Your child's Busy Waiting RoomYour child arrives at the doctor's surgery with a grown-up and discovers that waiting has plenty of small things to notice and do. As names are called and turns change, your child finds a simple way to keep track until it is time to go in.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 4-8Your child Goes to A&EWhen an unexpected moment means your child needs to visit A&E, they take each step with a trusted grown-up beside them. From the reception desk to meeting a healthcare professional, the story calmly shows what they may see and do.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 7-10Your child Learns About BracesYour child goes to the dentist for a longer conversation about their teeth and the possibility of braces. Together, they look closely, hear some new words and leave with questions they can think about at home.Their own home town · Coloured pencilAges 0-3Your child's First Health Visitor VisitIn your child's First Health Visitor Visit, your child welcomes a health visitor into the family home while the visitor comes to see the baby. With a blanket to fetch and questions to ask, your child finds a small, useful place in the visit.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 5-8Your child Visits the Nurse at SchoolDuring an ordinary school morning, your child is asked to visit the school nurse for a short chat. After noticing the familiar sights along the corridor and spending a little time in the nurse’s room, your child returns to class and picks up the day again.Their own home town · Storybook watercolour

Choosing a story that feels familiar

Start with the part of the visit your child is most likely to recognise, rather than trying to explain every possible detail. A child preparing for a first check-up may respond well to a simple, everyday story, while a child who has already heard about an appointment may prefer a story that reflects the setting they will see. Include little details that make the book feel like theirs, such as a favourite colour or a reassuring grown-up nearby. Keep the tone matter-of-fact and gentle. A personalised story works best as a conversation starter, not as a promise about exactly what will happen at an appointment.

When to read it together

Read the book at a quiet time, when there is no need to hurry out of the door. For a planned visit, sharing it a few times in the days beforehand can give your child familiar words and pictures to return to. Let them set the pace: they may want to pause on one page, ask a question or move quickly through the story. On the day itself, a brief reread can be useful if it feels welcome, but there is no need to insist. Bring the book along if that suits your routine. Follow any practical guidance provided by your child’s dentist, doctor, hospital or other healthcare team.

How a personalised story can help

Seeing themselves as the central character can make a new setting feel easier to talk about. As you read, use simple questions such as “What do you notice here?” or “What would you like to ask?” This lets your child share what they already know, what they are wondering about and what they would rather not discuss yet. You can name everyday steps without adding more information than they need. If they seem worried, acknowledge it plainly and keep the conversation short. The book is not medical advice and cannot predict an appointment, but it can offer a familiar shared activity before or after a visit.

Questions

What ages are these personalised books suitable for?

Picture to Story books are made for babies up to age 10. The number of words on each page grows with your child’s age, so the story can suit the way they engage with books now.

How is my child included in the book?

Your child is drawn as the main character from one photo. You also answer a few questions about their name, age, art style, adventure and little details, helping shape the finished story.

Can I see the book before I pay?

You can see the cover free before paying. Once ordered, the digital book is ready in about 10 minutes. Printed paperback and hardcover editions are posted with shipping included.