Give your grandchild a book where they’re the hero

Finding a gift for a grandchild or a godchild isn't always easy. At some point they already have every toy. You want to give something that says “I'm thinking of you,” not one more plastic thing that ends up at the bottom of the bin. A book where the child is the hero solves a lot of that — and it's simpler to make than you'd think. Here's how to do it, start to finish.

What to get ready before you start

You don't need much, but a little prep makes it go faster. Here's what helps to have on hand before you begin:

1. A way to draw the child — either a clear photo of their face, or just a description (hair colour, eye colour, glasses or not). Both work. The photo is used once to create the character, and we never keep it.
2. The names of their little world — a brother, a sister, the other grandparent, a close friend, the dog. You can add them to the cast so they appear in the story.
3. An idea of a moment to tell — an activity you do together, a current passion, a big first that's coming up. One line is enough.
4. The exact name and, if you like, the right spelling — it's their name that gets printed throughout the book, so it may as well be perfect.

If all you have is a first name and an idea in mind, that's already plenty to start. The rest fills in as you go.

Their friends join the story — without a photo

A lovely way to make the book truly personal is to slip in the people around the child. Their family, yes — but also their best friend, their favourite cousin. For friends, we never ask for a photo: we describe them in words (a little girl with pigtails, a boy with red glasses). That's our line, and we hold it: we don't accept photos of children who aren't yours. It takes nothing away — a described friend still shows up in the story, recognizable, right beside the hero.

For your grandchild's photo, same thing on the privacy side: it's only used to create the character, then it's gone from our side. We explain a photo's whole path here.

From far away, it works just the same

Lots of grandparents live far from their grandkids — another city, another province, sometimes another country. That's exactly where a digital book shines. You make it from home, and you can read it with the child over a video call, one page at a time, as if you were sitting right next to them. No package to wait for, no delay: the story is ready in a few minutes.

And the same character stays the same from book to book. That means you can make it a little tradition: a new book for each visit, each season, each big milestone. The child meets their hero again every time — and they know it was grandma or grandpa who made it for them.

A real paper copy to wrap

If you want something to actually unwrap, you can order a paper copy once you're happy with the result. We print it and mail it to your door (or straight to the child, if you prefer). Softcover by default, square format, quality colour — plus a hardcover upgrade for longer books, the one that stays on the shelf for years.

• The price shows before you pay, with an estimated ship and arrival date.
• A tracking link once it's mailed, so you know when it arrives.
• If anything goes wrong at the printer, you're refunded automatically — nothing to claim.
• The digital version stays in the library afterward: the paper copy is a bonus, not a replacement.

As with the photo, your address is only used to send the package: we keep it for delivery, never in our stats.

Try before you pay

The first book is on us, no credit card. It's the best way to see with your own eyes what it looks like: create your grandchild's character, pick a moment that feels like the two of you, and watch the story take shape. If you like it, you keep going; if not, you've lost nothing.

Ready to dive in? Make the first book — a photo or a description, a name, an idea, and off you go. A question before you start? Write to us — a parent on the team will reply for real.