Grandparents are the biggest repeat buyers of personalised books. It makes sense. They have multiple grandchildren, multiple occasions per year, and they care about giving something meaningful. A personalised book is the gift that says “I thought about YOU specifically.”
Not a toy that gets lost in a pile. Not a gift card that gets spent and forgotten. A book with the child’s name, face, and story. Something that sits on the bookshelf and gets read at every visit.
Why grandparents love personalised books
A personalised book is personal. That sounds obvious, but it matters more than you might think. Grandparents don’t want to give a generic present. They want the child to open it and feel seen.
It’s also a keepsake. Toys break. Clothes get outgrown. A book with the child’s name and face in it stays on the shelf for years. Some families still have them when the child is a teenager. It becomes a record of who they were at that age.
Then there’s the practical side. Multiple grandchildren means multiple gifts, often for different ages and interests. A personalised book solves this neatly. Each child gets something made just for them. Not the same generic toy in different colours. Not a voucher. A story that belongs to them alone.
And the child associates the book with their grandparent. Every time it gets read at bedtime, the connection is reinforced. “This is my book from Nana.” That kind of association lasts.
Books about the grandparent-child relationship
Some personalised books feature grandparents as characters in the story. A journey with Grandma. A day building something in Grandpa’s shed. A cooking adventure where Nana teaches the child her secret recipe.
These stories celebrate the relationship directly. The child isn’t just the hero of a random adventure. They’re on that adventure with their grandparent. It puts the relationship on the page in a way that ordinary gifts can’t match.
Paper Lake can include grandparents as characters in any custom story. You tell us about the relationship, and we build the narrative around it. Wonderbly also offers a specific grandparent title with a pre-written story. Both are good options depending on how much personalisation you want.
Books as gifts from grandparents
Birthdays. Christmas. Christenings. Easter. “Just because.” Grandparents have more gifting occasions than anyone, and a personalised book works for all of them.
A personalised book from Grandma feels different from one that arrives from Mum or Dad. It carries the weight of that relationship. The child knows their grandparent chose this for them, thought about them, put their name and face into a real story. That effort is obvious, even to a three-year-old.
Many grandparents order a new book for each grandchild’s birthday. Over the years, this builds a collection. The child ends up with a shelf of books from Grandma, each one from a different age. Some families treat it as a tradition: every birthday, a new Paper Lake book in a new art style.
The connection across generations is what makes this gift different. It’s not a transaction. It’s a grandparent saying “I know you. I see you. Here’s a story to prove it.”
Choosing the right book for each age
Different ages need different books. A quick guide:
Babies (under 1).The book is really a keepsake for the parents. Beautiful illustrations and quality printing matter more than the story. A hardcover with the baby’s photo in the illustrations captures how they looked at that age.
Toddlers (1 to 3). Short stories with bright pictures and simple text. They love seeing their own name on the page. Board book formats survive sticky fingers better.
Ages 4 to 5.The sweet spot. Kids at this age understand the story is about them and get genuinely excited. Adventure themes and stories with a small lesson work well. They’ll want to read it over and over.
Ages 6 to 8.Longer adventures with more substance. The story needs to hold up on its own, not just rely on the child’s name being there. Themes like exploration, mystery, or growing up tend to land well.
For a full breakdown, see our guide to personalised books by age.
Ordering tips for grandparents
Keep it simple.Paper Lake’s ordering flow is designed to be quick. One photo, a few details about the child, pick an art style. You don’t need to be technical. If you can send a text message, you can order a book.
Order 2 weeks ahead for custom books. Custom stories take a few days to write and illustrate, plus shipping time. Two weeks gives you plenty of buffer. Template books from other services can arrive faster, but international shipping (Wonderbly, Hooray Heroes) adds 2 to 3 weeks.
Save each child’s details.If you’re ordering for multiple grandchildren, keep a note of each child’s interests, favourite colours, and pets. These small details are what make a custom book feel special. A quick text to the parents fills in any gaps.
Try a different art style for each grandchild. This keeps each book feeling individual. One child gets watercolour. Another gets storybook illustration. A third gets something bold and graphic. They all have Paper Lake books, but no two look the same.
A personalised book from a grandparent is more than a gift. It’s a statement: I thought about you. I made this for you. You are worth the effort.
At Paper Lake, you upload one photo, pick an art style, and share a few details about the child. The story is written from scratch. The illustrations are original. Printed in Australia, delivered in 5 to 6 business days.