A personalised book about being afraid of the dark

When the light goes off, the room turns into a different place. The chair with the clothes on it looks like someone sitting there, and sounds you never notice in the daytime become loud and clear. Being afraid of the dark is common and not the least bit strange. In a book about it, the hero investigates whatever is frightening, at a manageable pace and with someone close by. The dark becomes a place your child can find their way around, and bedtime can feel a little easier to face.

In a book like this, the hero can discover that the big thing in the corner is the dressing gown on its hook, that the knocking is a branch against the window, or that whoever is moving about in the dark is frightened too and looking for company. The hero might go on a night-time round of the house with a grown-up and say goodnight to everything, or learn that light is always just one switch away. Nothing has to be brushed aside as silly. It was allowed to feel scary, and then it felt less scary.

The book is strongest when the room is your child's own. Tell us what is in it: the stripy curtains, the night light shaped like a moon, the cuddly toy that always lies by the pillow. If there is one particular thing your child tends to worry about, the story can give it a friendly explanation. Add what usually feels safe as well: a song, a special way of saying goodnight. An older sibling or a parent can be the one who comes along. A ready-made idea is The Monster Under the Bed.

For the youngest, a soft bedtime rhythm fits best: the lamp goes off, the moon shines, teddy sleeps. Pre-schoolers like it when the hero investigates a noise and finds something friendly, such as a hedgehog by the window or a ticking clock. Six-year-olds enjoy a little riddle about what is moving in the dark, and older children like the dark to become a place for adventure, such as an evening walk with a head torch.

Anyone who sits for a while in a dark room notices that it gets easier to see. Your eyes gradually adjust to the darkness and start to pick out shapes that were invisible at first. Try it together: switch off the light, sit close and count the things you can make out after a minute, then again after a few more minutes. It becomes a game, and the room grows a little more familiar.

You fill in the child's name, age and what they like, and upload a photo. The story about being afraid of the dark is written for your very own child, and the thirteen pictures and the cover are drawn from the photo in the style you choose. Brothers and sisters, parents, grandparents or the pet can come along, up to five characters. If you would like to include something that has happened lately, a trip or a lost tooth, just write it and it is woven in.

The eBook is ready a few minutes after payment. Read it, change the text and ask for new pictures until you are happy. Then order it as an A4 hardback book, printed and sent to your door, or straight to the child as a gift. Do add the audiobook or the colouring pages. Start creating the book or read more about the prices. Would you like to see a finished book before you decide? Browse our example books.