A Personalized Big Brother Book (or Big Sister Book) for the New Baby

Why a personalized big brother book helps

Parents of a soon-to-be big sibling often hear the same questions over and over: where will the baby sleep, will you still pick me up, can the baby play with me. Children work through big changes by hearing about them many times, and a story is one of the gentlest ways to do that.

A personalized big brother book or big sister book goes one step further than a general new baby book: your child is the one in the pictures, with their own face and first name, being the kind, capable older sibling. Seeing themselves in that role, rather than a stranger in a storybook, can make it feel like something they can actually do.

Custom Picture Books has several story subjects for this moment: new baby, gets a little sister and gets a little brother. Each book is written and illustrated from scratch for your child, with the help of AI, from one clear photo.

When to read a big sister or big brother book

Before the birth

Reading in the weeks before the baby arrives lets your child get used to the idea slowly. The story can show what will happen in concrete terms that match your plans: a visit to the hospital, the baby coming home, who looks after the older child while you are away. Because you can rewrite the text of any page once the eBook is ready, you can make those details match your family exactly.

After the baby is home

The weeks after the birth are often when the feelings actually show up. Returning to the book then, ideally in a quiet one-to-one moment while someone else holds the baby, reminds your child that they still have their own place and their own time with you.

The eBook is ready about 15 minutes after ordering, so you can start reading it straight away. The printed hardcover is made after you check every page, and printing takes 3 to 10 working days plus shipping, so order early if you want it in hand before the due date.

Putting both children in the story

A book can have up to five characters in total, each drawn from their own photo. For a new sibling book that usually means the older child, the baby and perhaps a parent, a grandparent or the family pet.

• If the baby is already born: use a clear newborn photo so the baby appears in the story alongside their big brother or sister.
• If the baby has not arrived yet: build the story around the older child, parents and anyone else who will be part of the change. A second book with the baby in it can follow once you have a photo.
• If there is more than one older sibling: each can be a character, so every child gets a role rather than one being the hero and the other watching.

Which subject to choose depends on what you know. If you know whether the baby is a girl or a boy, gets a little sister or gets a little brother speaks to that directly. If you would rather keep it open, or the baby is not here yet, new baby works for any family. Whichever you pick, you can still adjust the wording of each page afterwards.

Pick the age group for the older child, since they are the reader. A two-year-old will do best with the 0 to 2 group (4 to 12 words a page) or 3 to 5 (20 to 35 words), while a school-age child can handle 40 to 60 words a page. Our guide to personalized books for toddlers has more on very young readers.

Handling jealousy gently

Some jealousy is normal, and a book that pretends it will not happen can ring false to a child who already feels it. The better stories admit that it is hard sometimes to share Mom or Dad, and then show the older child finding their own way back to feeling loved.

There is a separate story subject for feeling jealous, which can be a good second book if the first weeks are bumpy. When you choose the lesson for the book, love, kindness and sharing all fit this stage well.

• Avoid stories where the older child is only a helper. They need to be the hero, not the assistant.
• Use your family's real words for things, which you can do by editing the page text.
• Read it when your child is calm, not as a response to a meltdown, so the book does not feel like a telling-off.

A gift from the baby to the big sibling

Many families like the idea of a small present "from the baby" when the older child first meets their sibling. A personalized big sister book or big brother book suits this well, because it is about the older child, not the newborn, and it gives them something of their own on a day when visitors mostly bring things for the baby.

1. Order the book in good time before the due date, so the hardcover has room for printing and shipping.
2. Edit the first page so it opens with a short note from the baby to their big brother or sister.
3. Add a greeting card made from the book's illustrations to go with it.
4. Keep it in the hospital bag, or with whoever is caring for the older child, ready for the first meeting.

Grandparents and other relatives sometimes give this book too. Our personalized book gift guide has ideas for that, and if you would also like a keepsake for the baby, see our guide to personalized baby books.