Guides to personalized children’s books
Choose by the child’s age, by the kind of book you have in mind, or by the occasion you are shopping for.
By age
Baby books
A baby will not remember their first year, but a book can hold it for them. Here is how the two kinds of personalized baby books differ, and how to choose one to read now and keep for later.
Books for toddlers
Toddlers will point at their own face in a picture book again and again. This guide covers how to use that delight well: the right amount of text for ages 1 to 5, and stories for the big steps of these years.
Books for kids
Some personalized books become the one your child asks for every night; others get read twice and shelved. This guide covers what separates the two, and how to choose by age, interest and occasion.
By kind of book
Story books
Putting your child's name in a book is easy. Giving them a story that fits their age, their interests and what they are going through right now is the part worth getting right.
Books with a photo
One good snapshot is all it takes for your child to appear on every page as a drawn character. Here is how that works, which photos give the best result, and what happens to the photo afterward.
Name books
Few things catch a small child's attention like their own name. Here is how to make the most of that, whether you want a simple name book or a full story where they are the hero.
Make your own book
You do not need to write or draw to make your own children's book starring your child. Here is every choice you will make, what each one changes, and when doing it all by hand is still worth it.
By occasion
Birthday books
A birthday is the one day a child already feels like the main character. A personalized birthday book puts that feeling on paper, with their face, their name and a story written for the age they are turning.
Christmas books
A personalized Christmas book puts your child inside the season they are already excited about, with family around them on the page. The only real trick is timing, so this guide starts there.
Big brother and sister books
A new baby changes everything for the child who was there first. A big brother book or big sister book where they are the hero gives them a story about that change in which they matter, and a way to talk about it with you.
Book gift guide
A personalized book gift is one of the few presents that is about the child rather than for them. Here is how to choose one that fits who you are to the child and what the occasion is.
Personalised books (UK)
A book with a grandchild's face on every page is a lovely way to stay close when you live miles apart. Here is how to choose one, get British spelling right and have it delivered to a UK address.