Personalized Christmas books

A personalized Christmas book starring your kids.

Not a name dropped into someone else's Christmas story. Yours: your kids, your tree, the cookies you always burn, and the dog in the reindeer antlers he hates. Put every sibling in it, or the whole family. You tell us the story, and we turn it into an illustrated hardcover.

Free to preview. You only pay once you love it: $39 for one book, or $25/month.

An open Tadpole Tales hardcover storybook starring a family

A Christmas book about your family, not just their name

Most personalized Christmas books work the same way: you type in a name, and it shows up in a story written for everyone. Ours starts with your family. The traditions you actually keep, the people who come over, and the moments your kids talk about all year.

It's the book that comes out of the Christmas box every December. Kids love seeing themselves on the page, and years from now it's a record of what Christmas looked like in your house when they were small.

Christmas story ideas for kids and siblings

Use a real memory, make something up, or mix the two. A paragraph or two is plenty.

Our Christmas traditions

“Every Christmas Eve we drive around in pajamas looking at lights, and Nora and Sam rate every house out of ten. Then hot cocoa and one present before bed. We'd love a book about our Christmas Eve.”

Siblings on a Christmas adventure

“Make it up: Lily (6), Ben (4), and baby Rose get a note from an elf asking for help, and the three of them have to fix Santa's sleigh before midnight. Ben is in charge of the reindeer snacks.”

Baby's first Christmas

“This is Theo's first Christmas. He's eight months old and mostly wants to eat the wrapping paper. His big sister Ava wants to teach him everything about Santa.”

Christmas at Grandma's house

“We spend every Christmas at Nana and Pop's farmhouse with all the cousins. The kids sleep in a pile in the attic and try to stay up to hear the reindeer on the roof.”

How it works

  1. 01

    Tell us the story

    Add your family once, with photos if you have them. Then write the story in a paragraph or two, the way you'd tell it to a friend.

  2. 02

    Preview every page

    We write and illustrate a 12-page picture book in the art style you pick. Edit any line or redraw any picture before it prints.

  3. 03

    A hardcover arrives

    Approve it and we print a hardcover storybook and ship it free anywhere in the US.

More on how our custom picture books are made →

Tips for a personalized Christmas book

  • Put in everyone who's there on Christmas morning: every sibling, the grandparents, the cousins, even the cat. Add each one to your family profile once.
  • One small, real detail does more than a big plot. The ornament they made at preschool or the way Dad reads 'Twas the Night Before Christmas is what they'll remember.
  • Order early. You'll preview and edit every page before it prints, and printing and shipping take time on top of that, especially in December.
  • Pick an art style that feels like Christmas to you. Watercolor and Folk feel cozy and classic, and Cartoon feels bright and playful.

Christmas is a great first book

Once your family is set up, every next book takes a paragraph: the first snow day, a birthday, or a made-up trip to the North Pole in July.

Families who keep going get a new hardcover each month for $25, about anything that really happened or anything your kids dream up. Skip a month or cancel whenever you like. Or just make this one book. That's fine too.

See pricing →

Personalized Christmas book questions

Can I put more than one child in a personalized Christmas book?

Yes. Two siblings, three, or more, plus parents, grandparents and pets. Everyone in your family profile can be in the story, with their real names, drawn from your photos.

Will it arrive before Christmas?

Give yourself plenty of time. The book is made first and you review it before it prints, then printing and shipping take time on top of that. The earlier you start, the more relaxed December will be.

Can I send it as a gift?

Yes. When you approve the book, mark it as a gift, add a short message that's printed inside, and ship it to any US address.

Can I see the book before I pay?

Yes. We write and illustrate the whole book first, and you review every page. You can edit any line or redraw any picture. You only pay once you approve it.

How much does a personalized book cost?

$39 for one hardcover book, with free US shipping and no subscription. Or $25 a month for a new book every month, if you want to keep going.

Can we make more books after this one?

Yes. Your family profile is saved, so the next book only takes a paragraph. It can be about any real memory or any adventure your kids make up. Order books one at a time for $39, or get a new one every month for $25. You can skip a month or cancel anytime.

Guides for parents

Make the Christmas book they'll pull out every December.

Free to preview. Hardcover books start at $25, shipped free in the US.

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