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Got a bookworm in the family? Or maybe your littlest one is learning to read?
Either way, personalized children’s books make a perfect gift for birthdays, Christmas, school achievements, Eid, Hanukkah, or even just… because!
If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for your baby, toddler, or child, personalized kid’s books are an easy win that will stand the test of time.
There’s something extra special about your child reading their name in a book ‒ the way their face lights up at the surprise is simply amazing! Don’t forget to have a camera ready to capture the moment!
Whether your little peanut prefers stories of fairytales, educational books, inspirational tales, or something totally different, we’ve done the legwork and put together all of the best personalized books for children.
In this article 📝
- What are personalized children’s books?
- Benefits of personalized books for kids
- Top 10 places to get personalized books for kids
- 10 of the best personalized books for kids
- How do you make a personalized children’s book?
What are personalized children’s books?
So, what is a personalized book for kids?
Simply put, they are customizable books that add your child to the story.
There are a few different types of personalized books for children ‒ we’ve broken them down so you know exactly what you want:
- Personalized children’s books with names: These books may not be able to customize the illustrations of the child in the book, but can include your little one’s name. Cue those “That’s my name!” moments ‒ adorable!
- Personalized books for kids with custom illustrations: There are usually options to customize the drawings of the child(ren) in these books, including eye color, skin tone, hair color, hair cut, and gender.
- Personalized books for babies: More colorful and bright, with less of a story and more visually appealing illustrations, these books can be a beautiful memento as they grow up.
- Personalized books for toddlers: More of an educational and developmental gift, personalized toddler books tend to cover the essentials, like ABCs, 123s, animals, and people, while also keeping your toddler engaged.
- Personalized family books: Why not add yourself to the story? Or, if your child has siblings, include them in the personalized story. A great gift to introduce your child to their new sibling.
- Personalized children’s books with photos: Instead of custom illustrations, these types of personalized kid’s books allow you to add your own photos of your child, and sometimes, the rest of your family.
- Christmas personalized books: These types of personalized books for kids are a whole category all of their own! Your little star can help Santa, save Christmas, and learn about the gift of giving, all in one book!
Benefits of personalized books for kids
Why should you get a customized book for your little peanut?
Well, there are lots of benefits to reading personalized children’s books:
- Builds their confidence
- Encourages them to read more
- Engages their imagination
- Helps develop their vocabulary
- Encourages them to write their own stories
- Increases the chances they’ll love to read later in life
- Encourages them to read by themselves
- Less likely to get rid of the book ‒ they’ll keep re-reading it even as they grow
So what are you waiting for? Have a look at our top personalized books for children!
Top 10 places to get personalized books for kids
1. Wonderbly
Kicking off our list of the best places to get personalized children’s books is Wonderbly.
There’s a reason why Wonderbly personalized books are beloved by parents and children alike ‒ with so much choice, you’re bound to find a book your little one will love.
Wonderbly books are also split by age, so you can find personalized books for babies aged 0-3, toddlers from 3-6, children aged 6 and up, and even for grown-ups!
If you’re looking for a personalized kid’s book for a special occasion, they also offer customized children’s books for Christmas, birthdays, Halloween, new siblings, and so many more.
Wonderbly books are easy to customize, although some personalized children’s books have more options than others, such as gender, hair color, skin tone, and hairstyle.
2. I See Me!
Another of the personalized children’s book titans, I See Me! has lots of books to choose from.
They do a few personalized kid’s books that you won’t find anywhere else, like coloring books, and licensed personalized children’s books for Disney and Marvel.
I See Me! also has plenty of customizable options, from your child’s name to a custom illustration, and even photo books.
Their customized books for kids are suitable for lots of different occasions and family circumstances, even twins and adopted children.
3. Dinkleboo
Dinkleboo personalized books are available in several countries ‒ the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Australia, and New Zealand ‒ so they can be more flexible with their shipping if you’re outside of the US.
For educational books, Dinkleboo has a fantastic range, including A-Z, counting, colors, shapes, and manners.
They’ve also got personalized Barbie books and customizable Thomas the Tank Engine books, so if your child is a fan of either, they can finally ‘meet’ their heroes!
Dinkleboo also has a lot of different customization options ‒ like Wonderbly and I See Me!, you can personalize your books by illustration, photo, and name.
Most of the Dinkleboo personalized children’s books can be bought as hardcover or softcover, as well, so you can choose what’s best for your child.
4. Put Me in the Story
Put Me in the Story makes your child the hero, putting them “in the middle of the action” so they can truly connect with their stories.
With a range of personalized kid’s books including licenses for Sesame Street, The Berenstain Bears, and Curious George, you’re bound to find the best book for your child.
Put Me in the Story even have a selection of personalized Spanish books, great for teaching your child to speak another language, or for Spanish-speaking families.
Browse Put Me in the Story books
5. Hooray Heroes
The customizable options for your child’s illustration in Hooray Heroes’ personalized children’s books are beautiful.
Select their gender, add their name, change their eye color and shape, hair cut and color, and skin tone, and voilà ‒ you’ll have a variety of personalized books for kids to choose from.
Hooray Heroes have books for every occasion, and pretty much every family member ‒ whether they’re to or from your child.
You can even create your entire family in a book, personalizing Mom and Dad (even down to what your child calls you) and your appearances.
The sheer number of customizable options make Hooray Heroes an easy addition to our list.
6. In the Book
Another amazing place to get personalized kid’s books, In the Book has lots of different licenses, so if your child is obsessed with Frozen, Moana, Thomas the Tank Engine, Peter Rabbit, Marvel, or Build-A-Bear, then these are the books for you.
If you’re after something extra-special, you can treat your little peanut to a story from their premium personalized children’s books selection, with gift boxes and unique collections of stories with their favorite characters.
7. Librio
Librio is a little different from the others on this list ‒ they have a selection of personalized children’s books in different languages.
So if you’re teaching your child to speak another language or you want to encourage them to connect with your family heritage, Librio is the way to go.
They have lots of different languages to choose from, too: Welsh, Albanian, Basque, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Luxembourgish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and Swiss.
As an added bonus, Librio’s books are made with 100% recycled paper, they donate a book to Room To Read for every book bought, and they also plant a tree for every product they create.
8. TimTimTom
TimTimTom is another fantastic option for personalized kid’s books to encourage bilingual children.
TimTimTom creates their personalized books in a unique way ‒ they’re each written in two different languages, to make it easier for your child to learn another language.
While they don’t have the biggest selection of books, the options to customize the illustrations and languages make TimTimTom a must-have for bilingual families.
9. Shutterfly
Shutterfly is a fantastic place to get pretty much anything personalized!
Not only do they have an impressive selection of personalized children’s books, but they also have photo books, greeting cards, wall art, festive stockings, calendars, and lots more!
You’ll recognize a few characters in their personalized kid’s books ‒ Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street crew, for example ‒ so you’re sure to find a great book for your little peanut.
10. My Magic Name
You won’t find another book as customizable as the books at My Magic Name ‒ these books are truly unique to your child.
Each personalized children’s book by My Magic Name is illustrated and written with the letters of your child’s name for them to find.
You can also add other family members and pets, as well as your child’s hometown, to make it even more personal.
However, there are no options to change the appearance of your child in the book, besides selecting a gender, so you’re not able to change their hair color, eye color, clothing, or skin tone.
10 of the best personalized books for kids
1. Lost My Name by Wonderbly
A great book to start your child’s reading journey, Lost My Name follows the story of the letters of your child’s name, so they can spell it by the end.
First, you select the avatar for your child from six different illustrations ‒ three girls, three boys ‒ then, you choose the quirky characters for each letter of their name (M for mermaid, O for ostrich, etc…).
A fun and educational story for children from 0-8.
2. Good Night to You by Put Me in the Story
If bedtime and getting into a night-time routine is… a challenge, this personalized children’s book just might be the solution!
With cute illustrations full of mindful, child-friendly affirmations, we love the Good Night to You book by Put Me in the Story ‒ it makes a beautiful birthday gift for your little peanut.
A soothing bedtime book for children aged 1-3.
Buy Good Night to You by Put Me in the Story
3. Welcome to the World (It’s a Strange Place) by Librio Books
A perfect gift for newborn babies, Welcome to the World has lots of customizable elements to best depict your little one, and a magical story.
If you’re after a personalized book for baby, this is the one for you ‒ they’ll love the spectacular illustrations, and as they grow up, they’ll have fun picking their favorite animals from around the world.
Plus, you can be in this story, too, mama ‒ customize the book to best suit your family.
A beautiful personalized book for babies and toddlers for ages 0-3.
Buy Welcome to the World by Librio Books
4. Where Are You? by Wonderbly
There’s a reason why this personalized children’s book has been trending for years!
It’s basically like Where’s Waldo, but with your child, with their own illustrated character and lots of customizable options.
There are quite a few books in the Where Are You? series, so try one to see what your child thinks, then get the whole set when they fall in love with it!
What makes the Where Are You? books different is the truly engaging and interactive aspect of them ‒ your child will actively try to find themselves and the other objects and characters in the crowds and different scenes.
An engaging personalized kid’s book for ages 4-10.
Buy the Where Are You? series by Wonderbly
5. If My Pet Could Talk by I See Me!
If your child adores your pet, this is the perfect personalized children’s book for you!
Not only can you customize the book to include your dog or cat, but your child’s name will also be featured so they’re part of the story.
A funny and cute personalized children’s book for ages 0 and up.
Buy If My Dog Could Talk by I See Me!
Buy If My Cat Could Talk by I See Me!
6. I Can Change the World by I See Me!
I Can Change the World by I See Me! is an inclusive and empowering personalized children’s book to encourage kindness.
You can customize your child’s character down to their gender, hair color, and skin tone, and add their date of birth for a dedication at the front of the book.
A personalized book for kids with a powerful message, suitable for ages 2-8.
Buy I Can Change the World by I See Me!
7. That’s MY Cake! by Wonderbly
That’s MY Cake! by Wonderbly is an adorable tale to teach your children the importance of sharing with their siblings.
You can personalize the book with two to four children, so it’s great for families of lots of different sizes, with children of different ages.
By the end of this customized kid’s book, they’ll learn together that “that’s OUR cake”!
A personalized children’s book with an important message, suitable for ages 0-8.
Buy That’s MY Cake! by Wonderbly
8. The Adventures of… by Hooray Heroes
If your little peanut is about to be a sibling, then this series of books by Hooray Heroes make the perfect gift to tell them all about their new baby brother or sister.
The Adventures of… books by Hooray Heroes have lots of different types of personalized children’s books, from poetry to prose, twins, and families with three children.
Together, your children will learn how they can work together and have amazing adventures!
A book of togetherness for children aged 2-8.
Buy The Adventures of… by Hooray Heroes
9. Be Brave by Librio
A beautiful and thought-provoking personalized kid’s book to give your child for their first day of school, or whenever they need a little extra boost of bravery.
We’ll be honest with you, this book brought a tear to our eyes ‒ from the stunning illustrations to the touching story.
In the book, your child feels a little nervous about starting school for the first time, but after reading letters from six other children from around the world, they visit each of the countries and find out what it means to be courageous and brave.
A poignant personalized book for children aged 4-8.
10. Night Before Christmas by Dinkleboo
Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your little peanut?
This isn’t just any personalized children’s book, it’s one of the best personalized Christmas books for kids!
A beautiful night before Christmas book that puts your child in the center stage ‒ you can even customize their character with lots of elements, like gender, hair color, eye color, and skin tone.
Plus, for families in the southern hemisphere, there’s even an option to change the season from winter to summer, so it looks like Christmas wherever you are.
A personalized night before Christmas book for children from 2-10 years old.
Buy Night Before Christmas by Dinkleboo
How do you make a personalized children’s book?
Keen to make the most personalized children’s book in the world? Something truly unique for your little one? Why not make your own?
There are a couple of different ways you can make your own personalized story book for kids ‒ with a photo book and with a sketchbook.
DIY personalized photo book for children
First, find a photo book ‒ we like this Everyday Fairytale one by Shutterfly ‒ and add photos of your family, telling the story you want to tell, the way you want to tell it.
You can then add text and other illustrations as you’re adding your photos online. Nice and easy!
DIY personalized story books for kids
This next one takes a little more DIY-ing than the photo book, so if you’re a crafty mama, this is right up your street!
First, find a sketchbook in the size you want ‒ like this one from Amazon ‒ then get creative!
Write a story with your little one as the star, add illustrations, photos, mementos, whatever you want!
Why not get your child involved, to get their imagination firing, too?
That’s it! Our top places to get personalized books for kids, favorite customized books for kids, and tips on how to make your own.
Which ones are your favorites? Share them with the other mamas on Peanut today!
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