Why a subscription? And who it’s actually for

I'll be direct: Toupie has a subscription, and I understand why that makes people wary. We all have one we've forgotten about for a year. So here's why I made this choice, what it really costs, and when it isn't for you.

Why a subscription rather than one book at a time

A personalized book is often a gift: you make it once, you're happy with it, and you move on. That's perfectly fine. But it isn't what I wanted to build.

In my view, a 3-to-9-year-old changes too fast for a single story. What fascinates them in October isn't the topic in February, and the moments that deserve a story (a move, a first day, a fear to tame) show up when they show up. Your child's character is drawn once, then reused in all their books. So the stories might as well keep up, one at a time, at the pace of their life.

That's the subscription: a new story about once a week, without starting from scratch every time.

What you get, concretely

$19.99 CAD a month, plus taxes.
4 books a month, any size (Short, Medium or Long): a Short counts as one, and so does a Long.
Beyond 4 books you pay per book: $4.49 (Short), $6.49 (Medium) or $8.99 (Long). The price is always shown before you buy.
Your library is kept forever, even if you cancel.
You can cancel in one click.

The numbers, honestly

If you make your 4 books, $19.99 ÷ 4 comes to about $5 a book. For comparison: without a subscription you can buy one-time packs, 2 books for $19.99, 5 for $47.99 or 10 for $89.99. That's between $9 and $10 a book, and they never expire.

Here's the simple math:

1 book a month: the subscription doesn't pay off. Get a pack, or use the free first book.
2 books a month: it's a tie. The 2-book pack costs the same as a month of subscription.
3 or 4 books a month: the subscription is clearly cheaper.

Nothing forces you to use all 4 books. If you make just one some months, you still pay $19.99. I'd rather you know that before you subscribe.

Who it's for (and who it isn't)

The subscription makes sense if:

a bedtime story is already a habit at your place, or you'd like it to become one;
you have more than one child, or cousins and friends you'd like to bring into the stories (friends are added by description, never by photo);
you like the idea of a story a week that follows what your family is living.

It probably doesn't if:

you want a single book for one occasion, like a birthday: a 2-book pack suits you better;
you don't know yet whether your child will enjoy it: make the first book first, it's free, no card.

A library that grows

One choice I care about: your books stay in your library forever, even after you cancel. A book where your child is the hero isn't content you rent. If you stop, you keep what you already have.

Over the months it becomes something more than a pile of stories: a small album of what your family has lived through, to reread and rediscover.

No pressure

No fake countdowns, no “last chance” discounts. The first book is free, no card. The subscription only comes into play from the second one, and the price is always shown before anything is done.

If you're unsure, start with the first book and see how your child reacts. You can also read our post on the bedtime routine, or write to us: a parent on the team will reply for real.