Surprise trip reveal ideas for kids

A surprise trip reveal book starring your kids.

Wrap it up for Christmas morning or hand it over at bedtime. Your kids read a story about themselves packing for a mystery adventure, page by page, with clues along the way, until the last page reveals where your family is really going. You tell us the trip, 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.

Sample book cover: Mia and the Star of the Sea, a story about a family's first trip to the beach

A trip reveal they get to keep

Most surprise trip reveals last about ten seconds: a printed sign, a scavenger hunt, a video. A storybook builds the suspense one page at a time, and then it stays on the shelf.

Little kids also handle a big trip better when they know what's coming. Once the secret's out, the book becomes the way they get ready: the plane, the hotel, the beach. They'll ask to read it every night until you leave.

Surprise trip reveal ideas for kids

Tell us where you're going and how you want to reveal it. A paragraph or two is plenty.

Christmas morning reveal

“We're taking Emma (6) and Jack (4) to a theme park in Florida in February and want to reveal it on Christmas morning. The story could have them following clues around the house, ending with a page that says where they're going.”

Beach vacation

“We rented a beach house in the Outer Banks for a week in July. The kids have never seen the ocean. A story where they follow a seagull who drops shells as clues, and the last page is the beach.”

Visiting family far away

“We're flying to Mexico City to see Abuela and the cousins for the first time in three years. A story full of clues about her house and her cooking, ending with a big hug at the airport.”

Camping or road trip

“We're taking the camper to Yellowstone this summer. A book where Leo and Mia find a mysterious map, and each page gets them closer to geysers and bison.”

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 surprise trip reveal book

  • Save the destination for the last page. Ask for clues along the way, like the weather, what's in the suitcase, or an animal they'll see, so kids can guess.
  • Keep the cover vague. Pick a cover title like 'The Big Secret Adventure' instead of the place, so it doesn't give away the surprise.
  • Make the book where the kids won't see it. Their faces get drawn from the photos in your family profile, so no need to ask them for anything.
  • We'd suggest keeping the pictures about your family rather than famous cartoon characters, which belong to other companies. Your kids will be more excited to see themselves anyway.

Then make the book about the trip itself

The reveal is part one. When you get home, the real trip makes a great second book: what they saw, what they ate, and the moment they'll still talk about at twenty. Your family is already set up, so it takes a paragraph.

Families who keep going get a new hardcover each month for $25, about anything real 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 →

Surprise trip reveal book questions

Can the book name the real place we're going?

Yes. Tell us the destination and the story can build up to it. You control every line, so you can name it, hint at it, or save it for the last page.

Can I give the trip reveal book as a Christmas gift?

Yes, it's one of the best times to do it. Start early: you'll preview the book before it prints, then printing and shipping take time on top of that.

Can I make a book about our family vacation after we get back?

Yes. A family vacation book about the real trip makes a great second book. Write what happened in a paragraph or two, and add photos from the trip at the back of the book if you like.

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.

Make the reveal they'll remember longer than the trip.

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

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