Personalised book for child moving to a city: your child's Big Move to the City

What happens in your child's Big Move to the City

1. Your child leaves the small-town home with one treasured keepsake.
2. The city arrives in a whirl of buses, crossings and tall windows.
3. Your child notices a quiet corner among the busy streets.
4. A new neighbour shares a helpful city tip.
5. Your child makes the new bedroom feel like their own.

How the first page could read

On the day of the move, your child pressed a small, familiar keepsake into a coat pocket. Outside, the removal van was ready. Soon the little town streets would be behind them, and the city would be ahead: buses rumbling, people hurrying and buildings reaching high into the sky.

Your child’s name, look and little details replace these words, and the whole story is written for their age.

Why this story works

Moving to a city can mean a lot of new sights, sounds and routines at once. This story gives your child, aged 5 to 9, a clear first look at the change: leaving a quieter place, arriving among busy streets and finding a new bedroom to settle into. The keepsake provides a simple, concrete thread through the story, showing that familiar things can come along too. Rather than making the city seem overwhelming or perfect, the pages notice manageable details, such as a quiet corner, a kind neighbour and a useful local tip. Seeing their own face, name and chosen details in the illustrations makes the story especially suited to reading before packing, during the move or after the first night.

Reading it together

• Read it a few days before the move, then pause to talk about one city sight your child may notice first.
• Choose a real comfort item for your child to carry on moving day, as the character does in the story.
• After reading, invite your child to draw or name three details they would like in their new bedroom.

Suggested art style: Storybook watercolour

Soft watercolour can hold the contrast between a quiet small town and a lively city while keeping the scenes calm and approachable. A sidekick idea: a small city pigeon who points out peaceful places. You can pick any of the four styles and change the details in the form.