Frequently asked questions

Start by telling us about your child: their name, age, and a photo. Then choose an art style and a story theme (or write your own brief). We'll show you your child on the cover and an outline of the story. Once you're happy, choose your book format and place your order. The full book is created and shipped to you.

At minimum: your child's name, age, and a photo or description. The more you tell us (interests, personality, pets, siblings) the more personal the story becomes.

Yes. You can choose from preset themes (birthday, bravery, new sibling, and more) or write your own brief. Tell us what the story should be about, and choose the lesson or moral. A sentence is enough. A paragraph is even better.

Yes. You can add up to two extra characters at no extra cost: siblings, pets, grandparents, best friends. Need more? A small upgrade lets you include up to five extra characters.

8×8 inches (approximately 20×20cm).

30 pages for Paperback, 32 pages for Hardcover, 36 pages for Gift Edition (the extra pages are a photo album of them at the back).

170gsm silk paper, FSC-certified. Thick, smooth, and built for little hands.

The story length and reading level are tuned for ages 1 to 8. Sturdy enough for toddlers, detailed enough that older kids still pull it off the shelf.

Yes. Every word and every illustration is created from scratch for your child. No templates, no pre-written stories. Your book is the only copy in the world.

Pixar, watercolour, Disney, Ghibli, and custom. You choose the style during the creation process. If you have a specific vision, describe it and we'll bring it to life.

You'll see your child illustrated on the cover and an outline of the story before you purchase, and you can request a fresh cover preview as many times as you like. The full book is created after purchase.

The preview shows the feel of your book. Our team illustrates the printed cover fresh, so the final artwork can differ a little from the preview. Every book is personally reviewed before printing.

We'll remake it free or refund you. If anything isn't right (wrong character, art errors, anything that bothers you) tell us and we'll fix it at no cost.

Free shipping across Australia. 7-10 business days for Paperback and Hardcover. Gift Edition takes up to 11 days because we collect a few extra details to personalise it further.

We're currently shipping within Australia only. International shipping is coming soon.

Yes. You can enter the recipient's address at checkout and include a gift message.

Paperback ($69): 30 pages, softcover. Hardcover ($89): 32 pages, premium hardcover, 170gsm silk paper. Gift Edition ($119): 36 pages, premium hardcover, a video of the story read aloud page by page, a photo album of them at the back of the book, and a digital PDF copy.

Everything in the Hardcover, plus a video of the story read aloud page by page, a four-page photo album of your child at the back of the book, and a digital PDF copy. It takes up to 11 business days because we collect a few extra details to personalise it further.

Every book is created from scratch: a custom story, original illustrations, and a premium hardcover. This isn't a template with a name swapped in. It's the only copy in the world, made just for one child.

Yes. Order two or more books in the same cart and 10% comes off the whole order. Handy for siblings and cousins.

No. The price includes your custom story, original illustrations, printing, and free shipping across Australia. What you see at checkout is what you pay.

Paper Lake is a small Australian business based in Sydney. The founder personally reviews every book before it goes to print, and if you don't love yours we'll remake it free or refund you.

We use advanced illustration technology to create stunning, original artwork from your child's photo. Every book goes through a quality review before printing. The result speaks for itself.