Personalised picture story books, drawn for your child

What makes it a picture story book

Each of the 15 scenes is a full-page illustration with the story on the facing page, so the pictures carry the plot. Young children can follow what is happening just by looking, and early readers use the pictures to work out the words. That is why picture story books are the format children come back to most from two to eight.

Personalising one goes further than a name on the cover. Your child is drawn as the main character in the book’s art style, keeping their face, hair, skin tone and glasses recognisable, and the same character appears in every scene so the story hangs together.

A story written for one child

You choose the world and the adventure, then add the details: a helper, their personality, a special item, the lesson the story should land, their favourite colour and animal. The story is written from those answers, at the right length for their age, in British English. No two books are the same.

Want to see how it reads? Every example book can be read page by page, from the cover to the last spread.

Printed or digital

The digital edition, an online flip-book plus a PDF, is ready about ten minutes after you order. The printed edition is an 8.5 inch square book on premium full-colour paper, as a paperback or a hardcover, with the digital book included and shipping in the price. Prices show in your own currency on the pricing page.

Picture story books by age

For toddlers, the words are short, rhythmic and repetitive, and the pictures do most of the work; see personalised books for toddlers. From four to six the story gains a real problem to solve. By seven and eight it has dialogue, humour and longer pages, while still being led by the pictures. Our gift guides by age go into each stage.

Popular picture story themes

Families most often start from their child’s current obsession: dinosaurs, space, unicorns, pirates or a calm bedtime story. There are twelve worlds in all, plus your child’s own home town.