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A personalised book about friendship for your child

A personalised book about friendship gives your child a familiar place to explore the everyday moments that can feel big: approaching someone new, waiting for a turn, sharing a favourite thing or putting things right after a wobble. With Picture to Story, your child appears as the illustrated lead, drawn from one photo. You choose their age, an art style, an adventure and small details, then answer a few simple questions to shape the book. Choose from storybook watercolour, animated film (3D), bold cartoon or coloured pencil. You can view the cover before you pay. The finished 32-page book has 15 illustrated story spreads, with words per page matched to your child’s age. A digital book is ready about 10 minutes after ordering, while paperback and hardcover editions are posted with shipping included.

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

Kindness and friendship 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 3-6Your child Says Sorry ProperlyWhen your child accidentally spills paint across a friend's carefully made drawing, the room goes quiet and the mistake feels very big. With kind words, a proper apology and practical help, your child learns how to put things right.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 3-6Your child Finds the Lost MittenOn a chilly visit to the park, your child spots a small red mitten beneath a bench. With a few new friends, your child follows gentle clues around the park to find the child who is missing it.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 3-6Your child's Rainy-Day UmbrellaWhen a shower starts on the walk home, your child notices a child with no umbrella waiting beside a puddly gate. Your child makes room under the canopy, and the two discover that a rainy walk can be warmer with company.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 4-7Your child Joins the Treehouse ClubWhen your child sees a group playing in a garden treehouse, they feel unsure how to ask if they can join. With a kind question and an open mind, your child becomes part of the game and notices someone else who needs an invitation too.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 2-5Your child and the Last Red SpadeOn a busy beach, your child finds the last red spade just as a group of children needs it to finish their sandcastle. By passing it on at the right moments, your child helps everyone add their own important part.Under the Sea · Storybook watercolourAges 3-6Your child's Mixed-Up PlaydateYour child is ready for a playdate when one friend brings a rocket game and another brings a tea-set game. With the afternoon getting muddled, your child suggests a simple plan so each game has its own turn.Their own home town · Bold cartoonAges 3-6Your child and the Wobbly WheelsAt the playground, your child notices a new friend struggling to keep their scooter steady. Rather than rushing ahead, your child stays nearby, offers calm words and celebrates each small try until the friend is ready to roll forward.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 5-8Your child and the Quiet Lunch TableAt a busy school lunch, your child notices a child sitting alone by the window and wonders how to begin a conversation. A question about favourite foods leads to shared stories, a saved seat and a gentle new friendship.Their own home town · Coloured pencilAges 4-7Your child's Picnic for EveryoneWhen the picnic basket has fewer snacks than hungry friends, your child notices that everyone is worried about missing out. By counting, listening and suggesting turns, your child helps make sure there is something for everyone.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 2-5Your child's Big Little HelpWhen a younger sibling wants to join your child's busy morning of play, your child notices three small ways to help. By reaching, tidying and making space without taking over, your child discovers how good teamwork can feel at home.Their own home town · Coloured pencilAges 5-8Your child Builds a BridgeWhen two groups on opposite sides of a stream cannot agree which game to play, your child listens to both ideas. Instead of choosing one side, your child suggests building a bridge so everyone can meet in the middle and make a new game together.Enchanted Forest · Storybook watercolourAges 4-7Your child's Library BuddyOn a visit to the library, your child notices a nervous child who cannot decide which book to borrow. Together, they follow clues through the shelves, choose a story and make a welcoming reading nook.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 5-8Your child Makes Room on the TeamDuring a lively playground ball game, your child notices a child waiting at the edge because the teams say they already have enough players. Your child suggests a simple new way to play so everyone can take part, and the game becomes better for it.Their own home town · Animated filmAges 3-6Your child's Secret Garden SignYour child has a quiet garden corner that feels like a perfect place to plant and play alone, until a new child pauses at the gate. With paint, a wooden board and a thoughtful idea, your child makes a sign that invites everyone in and helps a shared garden grow.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 4-7Your child and the Broken KiteOn a blustery day at the park, your child sees a friend's kite tear just as it is beginning to soar. Instead of carrying on with their own game, your child shares time, ideas and supplies to help mend the kite together.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 4-8Your child and the Different DanceAt a community dance class, your child meets a new friend who enjoys making gentle scarf shapes rather than copying every twirl and stomp. When the class creates a shared routine, your child helps find movements that let everyone join in their own way.Their own home town · Animated filmAges 6-10Your child and the Soup Kitchen GardenAt a shared allotment, your child helps an older neighbour carry seed packets and prepare beds for vegetables. As the garden grows, your child sees how each small job helps provide ingredients for the community soup kitchen.Their own home town · Coloured pencilAges 5-8Your child's Train Station Mix-UpOn a family day out at the station, your child notices a worried child who cannot find their group. Staying close to their own grown-up, your child helps the child speak to a trusted station adult and waits kindly until help arrives.Their own home town · Storybook watercolourAges 5-8Your child Sends a Thoughtful NoteWhen a friend is away from school, your child notices their empty chair and wonders how to let them know they matter. With classmates’ messages, drawings and memories, your child creates a thoughtful note that says they were missed.Their own home town · Coloured pencilAges 2-5Your child and the Very Busy BabyWhen a visiting baby keeps pausing your child's carefully planned den game, your child feels fed up with sharing the room and the grown-ups' attention. With a little help, your child finds ways to make space for the baby, share a favourite soft toy and still save a turn for their own play.Their own home town · Storybook watercolour

Choose a friendship story with a clear moment

Start with the situation your child is most likely to recognise. For a child settling into nursery or school, a story about saying hello, joining a game or helping someone new may be a good fit. For siblings or playdates, sharing, taking turns and saying sorry can feel more relevant. Keep the challenge gentle and let the adventure provide room for the characters to make a kind choice. When completing the questions, add little details your child will spot, such as a favourite colour or an everyday interest. Select an art style that suits what they enjoy looking at. A familiar-looking lead gives you plenty to notice together on each page.

Find a calm time to read it together

Read a friendship story at a quiet, unhurried point in the day, rather than saving it only for a difficult moment. Bedtime can work well when there is time to linger over the pictures, while a calm afternoon suits children who like to talk as they read. You might return to a particular page before a playdate, the start of a new class or after an awkward moment with a friend, without making it a lesson. Let your child choose how often to revisit it. For younger children, name what is happening in the picture. With older children, ask what they think each character could say or do next.

Use the story as a starting point for talk

A book cannot settle every friendship difficulty, but it can offer a low-pressure way to talk about everyday choices. As you read, try open questions such as, “How do you think that person feels?” or, “What might help them join in?” Notice kind actions, including small ones such as making space, listening or fetching help from an adult. If your child has had a tricky day, keep the conversation simple and avoid pressing for details. The story can be a shared starting point while you listen to what they want to say. Reading it again may bring up different observations each time, especially as your child grows older.

Questions

What do I need to personalise a friendship book?

You will need one photo of your child and answers to a few questions, including their name, age, preferred art style, adventure and little details. Your child is then drawn as the illustrated lead in the book.

Is a personalised book about friendship suitable for my child’s age?

Picture to Story is made for babies through to children aged 10. The number of words on each page grows with your child’s age, so the reading experience is suited to their stage.

Can I see the cover before I order?

Yes. You can see the personalised cover free before paying. Once ordered, the digital book is ready in about 10 minutes, or you can choose a printed paperback or hardcover.