A personalized birthday book where your child is the hero
Tell us about your child and the birthday you want for them: the morning they wake up a year older, a treasure hunt, a party with friends, a trip they have been promised. We write an original story and draw it in the style you pick, with your child looking the same on every page.
A real
sample
A sample: “Ruby and the Birthday Treasure”
Made on our form, like any book, in the soft 3d style. The family is invented; this is what they wrote:
Ruby, 6. A six-year-old girl with dark brown skin, bright brown eyes and long black braids with purple beads, wearing a purple party dress with tiny silver stars, white socks and silver shoes. Loves: dancing, treasure hunts and her grandpa's stories. Her sixth birthday: the morning she wakes up six, a treasure hunt Grandpa made around the garden, and a cake with six candles. Also in the story: Grandpa.
Ruby woke up and stretched all the way to her toes. Today she was six! Somehow, her toes looked exactly the same.
In the garden, Grandpa bowed. “A birthday treasure awaits,” he said, handing Ruby a card with a picture of a watering can. She answered with a twirl.
Ruby followed the pebble path to the blue watering can. Tucked beneath its handle was another picture card—and a shiny silver ribbon. “Treasure with a tail!” she said.
Read the rest of the story (11 more spreads)
- The next picture showed a flowerpot. But the garden had three! Ruby looked from one to another, then noticed a little purple dot beneath the pot in the picture.
- She crouched beside the pot with the purple dot. Behind it waited a card showing the garden bench. “Good spotting,” said Grandpa. “My knees are glad you did the crouching.”
- At the bench, Ruby found a card with a strawberry on it. Grandpa sat down to tell her about a treasure he once found: a biscuit in his coat pocket. “A very crumbly treasure,” he said.
- Ruby danced along the path to the strawberry bed. There she found a card showing the round garden table. She could almost taste birthday cake!
- Under the table waited a small wooden box. Ruby lifted its lid—but there was no treasure inside! Just a card showing a silver ribbon tied in a bow.
- “Is the treasure missing?” asked Ruby. Grandpa smiled. “Look closely at what you’ve found.” She spread her ribbon across her lap and discovered a tiny silver key tied to its end.
- Ruby turned the box around. On its other side was a little locked drawer! “You tricky box,” she whispered, sliding in the key.
- Inside lay six purple beads on a silver bracelet. Ruby counted them carefully: one, two, three, four, five, six. “One for every year of you,” said Grandpa.
- Ruby slipped on the bracelet and gave Grandpa a birthday treasure dance. Her braids bounced, her shoes shuffled, and Grandpa wiggled his elbows. His elbows were surprisingly good dancers.
- Then Grandpa brought out a cake with six glowing candles. Ruby made a secret wish and blew gently until every little flame was gone.
- With cake on her plate and Grandpa beside her, Ruby told the whole adventure from the beginning. Grandpa listened as though it were his favourite story. Being six, she decided, had started wonderfully.
Before ordering you see every page’s words like this, with the cover and the first pictures. The rest is drawn after you order.
Start with an idea
Pick one and the form opens with it filled in. Change anything: it is your story.
Questions
- Will it arrive in time for the birthday?
- Order early enough: after you order, we draw the rest of the book for you to approve, and delivery then takes about 3 weeks to the US, about 2 weeks to the UK, about 3 to 4 weeks to Canada and Ireland, and about 4 to 5 weeks to Australia and New Zealand.
- Can the story be about the age they are turning?
- Yes: say it in “What should it be about?”, for example “her sixth birthday”, and the story is written around it.
- Can grandparents and friends be in it?
- Yes: up to 3 more characters besides your child. Each gets a reference drawing, so they look the same on every page.
- Can I see the book before I pay?
- Yes. You see the whole story, the cover and the first pages before paying. After you order, we draw the rest and show you the whole book before anything is printed, for you to approve or change. Not happy before printing? Full refund.
- What does it cost?
- $44.99 for the hardcover, 8.5 × 8.5 inches, 32 pages in full colour. Shipping is free to the US, the UK and Ireland; to Canada, Australia and New Zealand you pay the postage ($10–16).
Make your child the hero
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