Each story is created uniquely for the child you tell us about — their personality, interests, appearance, family, and all the meaningful details you share. No two books ever come out the same, and every illustration is crafted for that specific story

No. Every book is written and illustrated from scratch for your child. We only keep a consistent DearStory colour palette and logo style to ensure every book feels beautifully premium and cohesive.

Absolutely. You can choose any theme you’d like — magical forests, outer space, underwater adventures, cosy home stories, or something entirely original. If you prefer, you can also leave the creative direction to us and we’ll dream something up for you.

Yes. Babies and toddlers love the illustrations and hearing their story read aloud, while older children enjoy the depth and personal details woven in just for them. We ask for the child’s age on the order form so we can tailor the tone accordingly.

Yes — the form allows you to add other children under “Who should join the adventure?” and you can specify how involved they should be. We design every story around one main child because it keeps the narrative warm, focused and emotionally clear when read aloud.

Yes — and it’s a very popular request. You can include up to two companions (such as parents, siblings or pets). Limiting it to two ensures the story remains beautifully paced, visually clear and carefully illustrated without feeling crowded or overwhelming for the child.

Absolutely. We believe every child deserves to be represented and celebrated. Feel free to include any details you’d like woven thoughtfully into the story and illustrations.

Not at all. It guides you step-by-step and takes most people only a few minutes. You can share as much or as little as you want — we craft the story around whatever you give us.

No problem. Some customers give us a long list; others write a single sentence. The more detail you offer, the more we can personalise — and the less you give, the more creative freedom we have. Both approaches work wonderfully.

We don’t request photos of children for privacy reasons, but we’ll work with the details you provide and ensure you’re happy with the likeness during the preview. Adjustments can be requested if needed.

Yes. Every book includes a standard DearStory dedication (“A one-of-a-kind DearStory tailored in every detail for [CHILD’S NAME]”), but you can replace this with any message you’d like — simply add it to the order form.

Just send us an email — we can add or adjust details before we begin crafting your book.

Because each story and illustration is created specifically for your child, you’ll receive a digital preview in 3–5 days, and the printed book typically arrives 1–2 weeks after your approval.

Yes — before we print, we’ll send you a preview that lets you confirm the key details.
You’ll receive:

• a preview of the front cover, showing the child, companions and the overall theme, and
• a condensed summary of the story, so you can check tone, details and personalisation.

This gives you the chance to make sure everything feels right, while still keeping the full illustrated book a special reveal when it arrives.

Yes — if there’s anything you’d like adjusted, just let us know and we’ll happily refine it.

Every book is printed on beautifully thick, premium coated paper with rich colour reproduction to showcase the illustrations at their best.

All DearStory books are a premium 216mm x 216mm square format, perfect for small hands and ideal for vivid artwork.

Hardbacks offer a level of quality and longevity that softcovers simply can’t match. Each book is crafted using a casewrap hardcover format, with sturdy boards and a fully wrapped custom design. The result is a book that feels considered, premium, and built to be kept — not just read once.

Most families order unique stories, so the form isn’t set up for duplicates — but if you’d like an extra copy, just email us and we can arrange it.

Yes. Seasonal themes, birthdays, holiday adventures and milestone moments can all be crafted — simply let us know in the form.

Definitely. These small personal touches often make the adventure even more magical.

We can. Our form is set up for children, but we’re very happy to create beautifully personalised stories for adults too — just email us with what you have in mind.

Yes. Whether it’s a milestone, a gentle exploration of a big moment, or a memorial story, we handle every request with care and thoughtfulness.

Yes — every DearStory purchase includes a high-quality PDF version of your book.

Your book is created completely from scratch — the story, illustrations, pacing and characters are all built around your child. Nothing is templated or reused.
Each book combines imagination, emotion and premium craft in a way designed to feel extraordinary from the first page to the last.

Because we combine true, bespoke storytelling with modern creative technologies.

Every story and illustration is still made uniquely for your child — nothing is templated — but we use tools that help streamline our creative process.

This allows us to offer the kind of custom, one-of-a-kind book that would traditionally cost far more, without the usual artisan price tag.

Yes — simply enter the recipient’s delivery address on the order form.