Newborns to about eightHow it works
Tell us about them
Their name, their age, one thing you love.
Read it before you pay
The whole story and the cover. Change any line.
We make the book
A person checks every page. Hardcover, to your door.
Pick by age
Each age wants a different book. The detail for each is below.
Newborn to one
A keepsake for the parents. Short lines, read aloud.
One to two
Repetition and faces they know. They point at themselves.
Two to three
The age they first know the book is about them.
Four to five
A real plot. Their worries and wins, like starting school.
Six to eight
Longer stories, with details only they would notice.
Buying for a one-year-old? See the first birthday book.
Baby to 12 months
At this age books get chewed, dropped and sat on. For everyday handling that means a board book: thick pages, rounded corners, high-contrast pictures, a few words a page. The baby isn’t following the story; they’re looking at shapes and hearing your voice.
A personalised book matters here as a keepsake, not because the baby understands it: their name on the cover, a dedication, pictures of how they look right now. In five years you’ll be glad you have it. A Paperlake book is a hardcover read to them and kept on the shelf, not a board book. Wonderbly’s newborn titles are another popular choice.
Look for: their name on the cover, a short dedication, and short lines to read aloud.
1 to 2 years
The child starts to engage with the pictures: pointing, saying words, bringing you the same book five times in a row. Repetition is everything, so short, rhythmic stories with one or two lines a page work best. Animals, vehicles and everyday objects hold attention; one clear picture a page is plenty.
A book made from their photo is exciting at this age. They are starting to recognise themselves in mirrors and pictures, so seeing themselves in a book gets a real reaction: they point at the page and say their name, or try to. Imagitime and Paperlake both make the child from a photo.
Look for: short repeating lines, simple bright pictures, and a child who looks like them.
2 to 3 years
Stories can be longer now. Simple plots work best: an outing, some animals, a treasure found, a small problem solved. This is the sweet spot for a personalised book. The child understands “that’s me in the book”, wants it read over and over, and tells other people about it.
Template and custom books both work here. Templates from Wonderbly or Dinkleboo are cheaper and still get the name-in-the-story reaction. A book from Paperlake is built around the child’s own people, pets and places.
Look for: a sturdy hardcover, a simple plot, bright pictures, and their name woven into the story.
4 to 5 years
Now it’s real stories. Four and five year olds follow a beginning, a middle and an end, understand cause and effect, and care about characters. Bravery, kindness and friendship land because those are the ideas they are working through themselves.
A book written for them shines here: starting school, making friends, being brave at the dentist, a new sibling. A template can’t reach those moments; a custom story can be built around them. They also notice the pictures now, and have favourite picture books they can explain.
Look for: a clear plot and ending, themes from their real life, good pictures, and enough words to feel like a real book.
6 to 8 years
Older children want more going on: adventure, mystery, a real problem to solve. They read along or read alone, so the writing has to hold up; a forced name in a clunky sentence breaks the spell. They watch good animation every day and notice pictures that look cheap.
A template that only swaps in a name can feel thin at seven. A story with real details (their hobby, their pet, their sport, their best friend) still gets a strong reaction.
Look for: a longer story with depth, good pictures, and personal detail beyond the name.
Quick reference by age
What to look for at each stage, and who makes it.
| Age | Format | Story length | Themes that land | Worth a look |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 12 months | Board book to handle; hardcover to keep | A few words a page | Colours, faces, keepsake | Wonderbly's newborn titles, Paperlake |
| 1 to 2 years | Board book to handle; hardcover to keep | One or two lines a page | Animals, vehicles, everyday things | Imagitime, Paperlake, Dinkleboo |
| 2 to 3 years | Hardcover or paperback | A short plot | Simple outings, discovery | Paperlake, Wonderbly, Dinkleboo |
| 4 to 5 years | Hardcover | A full plot | Bravery, kindness, friendship | Paperlake, Hooray Heroes |
| 6 to 8 years | Hardcover | A longer story | Adventure, mystery, a real problem | Paperlake |
- Format
- Board book to handle; hardcover to keep
- Story length
- A few words a page
- Themes that land
- Colours, faces, keepsake
- Worth a look
- Wonderbly's newborn titles, Paperlake
- Format
- Board book to handle; hardcover to keep
- Story length
- One or two lines a page
- Themes that land
- Animals, vehicles, everyday things
- Worth a look
- Imagitime, Paperlake, Dinkleboo
- Format
- Hardcover or paperback
- Story length
- A short plot
- Themes that land
- Simple outings, discovery
- Worth a look
- Paperlake, Wonderbly, Dinkleboo
- Format
- Hardcover
- Story length
- A full plot
- Themes that land
- Bravery, kindness, friendship
- Worth a look
- Paperlake, Hooray Heroes
- Format
- Hardcover
- Story length
- A longer story
- Themes that land
- Adventure, mystery, a real problem
- Worth a look
- Paperlake
Template vs custom by age
Babies (0 to 1): a template is fine. The story matters less than the keepsake of their first year.
Toddlers (1 to 3): either works. Templates are cheaper and still get a great reaction when they see their name. A custom book puts in their own people and pets.
Four and up: custom adds real value. The child follows the story and notices when it connects to their life: their teacher’s name, their best friend, the thing they’re actually scared of. A template can’t do this.
More on the two kinds in books made from a photo, and the brands side by side in compare personalised books in Australia.
Starting school this year?
A story about their first day, their school, the worry they actually have.
Books about starting school
Tried and tested titles that parents, teachers and librarians recommend:
- Starting School, Janet and Allan Ahlberg (ages 4 to 6). The classic. A group of children through their first year, from the first morning to the end-of-year concert. If you buy one, make it this.
- The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn (ages 3 to 6). For separation worries. Chester the raccoon’s mum kisses his palm so he can feel her love at school. Many families start their own kissing-hand ritual after it.
- Chu’s First Day of School, Neil Gaiman (ages 3 to 5). For the child who worries about being different. Chu’s big sneeze turns out to be brilliant.
- Tom Goes to Kindergarten, Margaret Wild (ages 3 to 5). An Australian author. Tom loves it; his parents are the ones who don’t want to leave.
- Wombat Goes to School, Jackie French (ages 4 to 7). From the Diary of a Wombat series. Less about preparing, more about school as a cheerful place.
When a personalised book adds value
Published school books are about someone else. A personalised book is about your child at their school: walking through the gate, meeting the teacher, making a friend, being brave. The main character has their name and their face.
With Paperlake, tell us the worry they actually have: “What if nobody plays with me?”, “What if I can’t find the toilet?”, “What if I miss Mum?”. The story works through that fear, not a generic one, and they see themselves come out the other side.
Read it in the two weeks before school starts: not months ahead, not the night before. Casual reading, no pressure. It arrives in up to 3 days to make plus up to 10 business days, so order about three weeks out.
Other ways to prepare, and when to worry
- Visit the school on an orientation day. Walk the grounds, find the classroom, the playground and the toilets.
- Practise the morning routine a few times in the week before: dressed, breakfast, bag, shoes.
- Meet a classmate. A playdate with one child from the same class changes the first morning.
- Keep the goodbye short. “Have a great day. I’ll be here at pick-up.” Children pick up on a long farewell, and most settle within minutes.
Most children adjust within two to four weeks, and tears at drop-off in the first week are normal. If worry lasts beyond a month, or they are refusing to eat, having nightmares or going backwards (wetting the bed after being dry, clinginess that is getting worse), talk to the teacher first; they see your child six hours a day. If the teacher is concerned too, see a GP. A book supports a child; it is not a fix for clinical anxiety, and early help makes a real difference.
More on this in books for kids with anxiety.
How to choose
Start with their age. Match the format to their stage, the story to what they can follow, and the personalisation to how much it will mean to them. For a baby, any well-made personalised book works as a keepsake. For a four-year-old, get something custom. For a seven-year-old, make sure the story and pictures are good enough for a child who watches good animation every weekend.
With Paperlake, you tell us about them and send a photo. We write a story for their age and make every picture from their photo; a person checks every page before it prints. It is printed in Australia or New Zealand, made in up to 3 days, then delivered in up to 10 business days.
We make one of the books in this guide and say so where it appears. How we compare brands is on the methodology page.
