Gifts by age

A gift for a three year old

Three is the age where a child first really sits inside a story, and where they recognise themselves in a picture. Those two things together make a book with their own name in it land differently from another toy.

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hardcover, 21 x 21 cm

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Age-aware

text length follows the age

What works for a three year old

Attention is short: a few minutes at a time, and then something has to happen. Short sentences, few characters, plenty of repetition. A three year old wanting the same book twenty times is not a lack of imagination, it is exactly how it works, and there is a reason for it.

At this age a child knows for certain that the face in the mirror or the photo is theirs. That milestone is called self-recognition, and it is why a three year old reacts to their own name and face in a book with an immediate "that is me".

Subjects that land: whatever is actually happening this week. Starting nursery, a new baby in the house, the potty, the soft toy that went missing. Big plots with tension and a villain do not work yet; they sit outside what a three year old can follow.

One tip that costs nothing: keep the number of names small. The child plus one or two familiar faces is enough. With more characters a three year old loses the thread.

Different child, different age?

What a child can handle, and enjoys, changes with every year.

Gift for a 4 year old

What changes at that age, and which story fits it.

Gift for a 5 year old

What changes at that age, and which story fits it.

Gift for a 6 year old

What changes at that age, and which story fits it.

Gift guide

Every occasion in one place: birthdays, goodbyes, holidays.

Examples

Real books that were actually made, not mock-ups.

What is the gift for?

Pick the occasion and a fitting story is waiting in the form. You enter the age there, so the length and tone move with it.

The best birthday

For a birthday

A day that starts with balloons and ends somewhere else entirely.

Choose this occasion 2

Thank you, teacher

For saying goodbye to a teacher

A book to give to the person who made the difference all year.

Choose this occasion 3

Ready for secondary school

For leaving primary school

Years in one school, and then you are outside with your bag.

Choose this occasion 4

The first day at school

For starting school

New bag, new class, and a knot in your stomach.

Choose this occasion 5

The certificate you earned yourself

For a certificate or first achievement

Nobody can do this bit for you.

Choose this occasion 6

The Christmas that went differently

For Christmas

Snow, candlelight, and something that should not be there.

Choose this occasion

Show all 10 occasions

A book for dad

For Father’s Day

About the things he does and never mentions.

Choose this occasion 8

A book for mum

For Mother’s Day

A whole day of pretending to be the mother.

Choose this occasion 9

Staying at grandma and grandad’s

For grandparents

Different rules, a different bed, and the best stories.

Choose this occasion 10

Get well soon

For someone who is ill

A book for anyone who cannot go outside for a while.

Choose this occasion

Or write your own story

Know something only this child has: a soft toy, a habit, a running joke? Write it down in a few sentences and that becomes the book.

Write it myself

"Echt heel leuk! Onze dochters vonden het fantastisch. Je kan heel eenvoudig je eigen boekje maken en de kwaliteit is echt heel goed."

Geverifieerde koper

"Komend jaar titel 'Lievelings oom' weer veiliggesteld! Leuke boekje en nette afwerking!"

Adriaan

Geverifieerde koper

"Boekjes worden heel mooi. Ons zoontje herkende zich zelf en mama echt in het boekje!"

Evelien

Geverifieerde koper

Frequently asked questions

Is a book not too early for a three year old?

No, three is a good moment: the child can follow a short story and recognises themselves. Under about eighteen months we would advise against it, because a board book does more than a story at that point.

Which story suits a three year old?

Something from their own world: the first days at nursery, a night at their grandparents, the creature in the garden. The occasions are on this page; in the form you can rewrite the story entirely.

How does the book know how old the child is?

You enter the age when you make it. Sentence length, word choice and how the child is drawn all move with it: a three year old gets shorter sentences than a six year old, and looks genuinely younger on the illustrations.

What does it cost and how quickly does it arrive?

Making the book and viewing the full preview is free. As a premium hardcover it is printed after your approval and delivered within eight working days. The current price is at the top of this page.

What if the book is not what I hoped for?

Then you do not order it. You see the complete book in a free preview before anything is printed, and you can adjust text and illustrations until it is right.

Make the gift

Pick an occasion or write your own story. You see the whole book before anything is printed.

Start choosing

£24.99

hardcover, 21 x 21 cm

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