The Best of the Best Personalized Books for Kids -
Personalized books that I would gift myself!
As of May 2024
In the ever-growing market of personalized books, finding the best of the best can be quite a challenge. As a parent or caregiver, you want a book that not only captivates your child's imagination but also imparts valuable life lessons. After sifting through countless personalized books from various publishers, I've compiled a list of top-notch custom books that stand out for their engaging stories, beautiful illustrations, and meaningful messages. Here are the top personalized books for kids that bring a touch of magic to bedtime and beyond.
Your Baby Story
(Manimal Tales, $23.99)
- Level of Personalization: ★★★★★
- Story Content: ★★★★☆
- Illustrations: ★★★★☆
Themes: Birth and early life of the child
Special Features:
- A gentle, heartwarming narrative about a child’s arrival
- Perfect for bedtime reading
- Makes an excellent gift for newborns and their parents
Ideal For:
- Creating a special bond between the child and the story,
- Cherished keepsake for families
Personal Thoughts:
Your Baby Story is a beautiful, personalized story that’s sure to be a favorite keepsake. It talks about the relationship of the parents before the child was born, the magic of the child’s birth, and how much the child is loved and cherished. This book creates a special bond between the child and the story, making it a perfect gift for newborns and their parents.
ABC - What Will I Be?
(Manimal Tales, $23.99)
Level of Personalization: ★★★★★
Story Content: ★★★★☆
Illustrations: ★★★★☆
Themes: Imaginative professions and name-finding adventure
Special Features:
- Find Their Name: Help your child find their name, which is shown on every illustration. Some are easy, but some are quite hard!
- Spark Their Imagination: Spend hours with your kids thinking up fun new professions every time you read this book! The more imaginative the better!
- Personalized Illustrations: Enter your child’s name and have it printed on EVERY illustration in the story. It’s fun for your child to see if they can find it!
Ideal For:
- Encouraging imaginative play and creativity
- Providing a fun, interactive reading experience
- Creating a personalized keepsake for your child
Personal Thoughts:
ABC - What Will I Be is a delightful, personalized story that sparks creativity and fun. It invites children to explore various professions through imaginative play while searching for their names in the illustrations. This book not only entertains but also creates a special bond between the child and the story, making it a wonderful keepsake for families.
Your Child and the Unicorn
(Letterfest, $29.95)
- Level of Personalization: ★★★☆☆
- Story Content: ★★★★☆
- Illustrations: ★★★★☆
Themes: Respect for all things, embracing life’s ups and downs
Special Features:
- Emphasizes respect for both living and non-living things
- Highlights the importance of family with the charming phrase “family is what makes a home”
- Addresses common childhood fears with a positive and encouraging outlook
- Encourages children to embrace everything that comes their way, whether good or bad
Ideal For:
- Kids starting school or any young child
- bedtime reading
- uplifting moments on tough days
Personal Thoughts:
Your Child and the Unicorn is a heartwarming story filled with cute, smile-inducing moments. It provides a comforting read before bed or after a rough day, emphasizing the importance of respect for all things and the value of family. The story also tackles common childhood fears, making it an ideal book for children who are navigating new experiences. The illustrations add a magical touch, making the book visually appealing and engaging.
Goodnight Little Me
(I See Me, $39.99)
- Level of Personalization: ★★★☆☆
- Story Content: ★★★☆☆
- Illustrations: ★★★★☆
Themes: Abstract bedtime story, soothing rhymes
Special Features:
- Combines elements from classic stories like “The Dish and the Spoon”
- Easy-to-read rhymes that leave a good feeling
Ideal For:
- Children aged one to three
- Bedtime reading
Personal Thoughts:
Goodnight Little Me enchants very young readers with its eerie and whimsical illustrations and abstract, rhyming storyline. The simplicity of the rhymes makes it a perfect bedtime story for toddlers, though its abstract nature might be confusing for older children. This book captures the essence of classic nursery rhymes and brings a dreamy, soothing feel to bedtime with its personalization.
Welcome to the World
(Librio, $34.99)
- Level of Personalization: ★★★☆☆
- Story Content: ★★★★★
- Illustrations: ★★★★★
Themes: Introduction to the world's wonders, the beauty of life’s diversity
Special Features:
- Starts with a cute dedication and a dragon holding a baby illustration
- Explores natural elements like lava, glaciers, deserts, and oceans
- Emphasizes the beauty of life’s variety and the significance of the child’s birth
- Highlights contrasts such as hot and cold, big and small, old and new
Ideal For:
- Any child
- Newborns
- Toddlers
Personal Thoughts:
Welcome to the World is a visually and emotionally delightful book that celebrates the wonders of the world and the beauty of life’s diversity. The starting dedication, with a dragon holding a baby, sets a cute and engaging tone. The book explores various natural elements and emphasizes the significance of the child’s birth, making it a perfect gift for newborns and toddlers. Every page is a visual treat, making it enjoyable for both children and adults.
The Wondrous Road Ahead
(Wonderbly, $39.99)
Themes: Kindness, honesty, persistence, and fun
Special Features:
- Teaches values like kindness and honesty through engaging narratives
- Addresses issues like bullying and stealing
- Shows the importance of persistence and the rewards of good deeds
- Ends with a heartwarming twist where the creatures help the child in return
Ideal For:
- Teaching important life lessons in a fun and engaging way,
- Children who love adventure and hero stories
Personal Thoughts:
The Wondrous Road Ahead is a fantastic book for teaching essential values in an engaging way. The storyline, where your child is the hero, helps creatures and overcomes challenges, makes learning about kindness, honesty, and persistence fun. The detailed and adventurous illustrations add to the excitement, making it a great read for children who love hero stories. The heartwarming twist at the end, where the creatures help the child in return, reinforces the message of kindness and support.
The World Waited For You
(Lucy & Co, $38.00)
- Level of Personalization: ★★★★☆
- Story Content: ★★★★★
- Illustrations: ★★★★☆
Themes: Joy of a child’s arrival, embracing change, and self-belief
Special Features:
- Talks about the anticipation and joy surrounding a child’s birth
- Blends realistic life lessons with encouraging messages
- Emphasizes the inevitability of change and the importance of self-belief
- Highlights the need for supportive relationships and kindness
Ideal For:
- Reassuring and inspiring young kids
- Teaching children about self-worth and the value of kindness
Personal Thoughts:
The World Waited For You is a touching and affirming read that reassures children they are enough. It beautifully captures the anticipation and joy surrounding a child’s birth, blending realistic life lessons with encouraging messages. The book emphasizes the inevitability of change, the importance of self-belief, and the need for supportive relationships and kindness. It’s a wonderful book for reassuring and inspiring young minds.
Conclusion
Personalized books for kids are more than just stories; they're a way to make reading personal, engaging, and memorable. From tales of magical unicorns to heartfelt stories about a child's place in the world, these books offer valuable lessons wrapped in beautiful illustrations and engaging narratives. Whether you're looking for a bedtime story or a special gift, these personalized books are sure to bring joy and inspire young readers.
Who Will You Make a Book For Today?
General Questions
Manimal Tales is a publisher of beautifully illustrated personalized books. We have personalized books for children and adults. From birthday books to new baby tales, and from bedtime stories to ABC books, we have custom books for all occasions!
We even offer PhotoStories, our personalized picture books with photos.
At Manimal Tales, we fervently believe every child should be the hero of their own story!
Personalized books (or custom books as they are sometimes referred to) allow the reader to become the hero of the story - literally.
The main character in the story is the reader / receiver of the book, and is represented by an avatar that looks like them. There are usually lots of additional personalized details printed in the stories, including the receiver's name, age, family members and more.
Our PhotoStories offer a whole new level of personalization by allowing you to add your own photos into the story and have them printed out with the book.
Browse through our collection of custom books to see which ones work for your loved ones!
It's super easy to personalize your own book!
Browse through our collection of personalized stories and select the titles you want. On the product page, add the details required to personalize the book (name, age, family members, photos etc.). You can then preview the entire book before you buy, so you know exactly what you're going to get!
Once you're satisfied, add the book to your cart, enter your payment details and your unique, one-of-a-kind personalized book will arrive on your doorstep in 6 to 9 days!
The short answer is that it depends on the personalized book title in question!
All books will have your loved one as the main protagonist and their name will be printed on the book cover as well as in the story.
In some of our books like Dreamland and What Will I Be? the (the An ABC Story) your loved one's name is printed on every page.
In our Manimal Tales series, in addition to your child's name, you can select an avatar that looks like your child.
In our custom baby tales, Your Baby's Story and Your Baby's Story (Sibling version), you have to enter names and select avatars for the parents and the siblings as well.
And for our PhotoStories, you can further customize the books by uploading and adding your own photos directly into the book. The stories have been written to incorporate the photos as part of the story itself.
Whichever personalized book you do choose, we guarantee your loved one's will love our custom tales just as much as we do!
We have books for all ages and occasions! On the menu bar at the top of the page you can filter through our collections of personalized books by a variety of different criteria.
We have personalized books for:
We also offer custom books with engaging stories about:
- Standing up for your beliefs
We have personalized books across all ages:
Lastly we have our PhotoStories, which allow users to upload photos and have them become part of the story!
Nothing beats getting a book with your name on it!
Personalized books are treasured and loved by all, and make great keepsakes.
We offer custom books for all occasions, ensuring you will always find a book to meet your needs.
You can always reach us by filling out our Contact Form.