Our special thing
“Every Saturday morning Owen (5) comes over and he and Grandpa make pancakes shaped like the letters in his name. Grandpa always burns the O. We'd love a book about pancake Saturdays.”
Personalized books from grandparents
A personalized book from Grandma and Grandpa, starring the grandkids.
Pancakes at your house. Fishing at the lake. The song only Grandpa sings right. Turn the things you do with your grandkids into a picture book where you're in it too, drawn from your photos. You tell us the story, and we turn it into an illustrated hardcover you can send straight to them.
Free to preview. You only pay once you love it: $39 for one book, or $25/month.
A grandparent gift with you in the story
Most personalized books from grandparents put the grandchild's name in a story about somebody else. This one is about the two of you: your kitchen, your garden, your car with the bag of butterscotch candies in the glove box.
Grandkids who live far away get to see you every night at bedtime. Grandkids who live close get a book about the place they love most. And someday they'll have it to read to their own kids.
Story ideas for grandma, grandpa and the grandkids
Write about something real, make up an adventure, or mix the two. A paragraph or two is plenty.
A visit to Grandma's house
“Every summer Ruby and Jack fly to Grandma's house by the lake. They catch frogs, eat corn on the cob on the porch, and stay up late counting fireflies.”
From far away
“We live in Arizona and our grandkids live in Maine. We video chat every Sunday and read stories. A book about how much we love them, even from far away, and the day we'll visit next.”
An adventure with Grandpa
“Make it up: Grandpa and Maya build a rocket out of the old garden shed and fly it to the moon, where they plant tomatoes and have a picnic.”
How it works
- 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.
- 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.
- 03
A hardcover arrives
Approve it and we print a hardcover storybook and ship it free anywhere in the US.
Tips for a personalized book from grandparents
- Use the names your grandkids call you, like Nana, Pop-Pop or Abuela. That's the name they'll look for on the page.
- Add a photo of yourself to the family profile so you look like you in the pictures, not a generic grandparent.
- If you're ordering for grandkids, ask their parents for a photo of each child and the names of any pets.
- Mark the book as a gift when you approve it and it ships straight to them, with your message printed inside.
One book, or one every month
Once the family is set up, the next book takes a paragraph: a birthday, a holiday at your house, or a made-up adventure the grandkids dream up on the phone.
Some grandparents send a new hardcover each month for $25, about anything real or imagined. Skip a month or cancel whenever you like. Or just make this one book. That's fine too.
Questions from grandparents
Can Grandma and Grandpa be in the book?
Yes, and that's the point. Add yourselves to the family profile with a photo, and you'll be drawn in the story with the grandkids, under the names they call you.
Can I make a book for more than one grandchild?
Yes. Put all the grandkids in one story, or make a separate book for each.
Can I send it straight to my grandkids?
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
- Yoto Player Review: Great Screen-Free Pick, If You Budget for Cards
Kids slot in a card and run their own stories, and parents love it at bedtime. The player is a one-time buy, though, and the card habit is where the real cost lives.
- Grandparents Gifting a Trip for Christmas: What to Wrap for Kids
You're paying for the beach week, but the grandkids still need something to unwrap. Here are the photo frames, matching shirts, books, and trip gear that stand in for the real thing, and the one conversation to have with the parents first.
Make the book they'll read with you, even from far away.
Free to preview. Hardcover books start at $25, shipped free in the US.
The Tadpole Post
Not ready for a book yet?
Get free story starters, conversation questions, and guides for big moments like this one, straight to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll get
- Bedtime story starters that star your kid
- Questions that get kids talking at dinner, in the car, and at bedtime
- Guides for big moments, like a new sibling or a move
- New Tadpole Picks lists: the books, toys, and gear we'd hand to a friend
- Member-only offers, now and then