A personalised book about brushing teeth

Toothbrushing comes morning and evening, every single day, and perhaps that's exactly why it so easily turns into a tug of war. A picture book can make it a moment with a story instead of a job to get through. Your child can be the one searching for something in their mouth with a torch, counting their teeth or showing a shy toothbrush how it's done. When the bedtime routine is tied to a story, it becomes something to look forward to – or at least something to chat about while the brush goes round.

The mouth is an exciting place for a story: a cave of white stones, a tongue that's a red carpet, foam that swirls like snow. The book can follow the brush on a journey from the front teeth to the very back ones, where it's darkest. It can be about a tooth that has started to wobble, or a child teaching their cuddly toy to brush. Perhaps the toothpaste tube has run away, or the mirror suddenly starts to talk. You can also turn the whole bedtime routine into a string of small adventures, from pyjamas to the last story.

Write in what it's like at home: the colour of the toothbrush, the flavour of the toothpaste, the step in front of the basin, the mirror with fingerprints on it. If you have a song you sing while brushing, it can be in the book. The grown-up who does the final brush, or the big brother or sister brushing alongside, can have a part too. If your child has recently lost their first tooth, that can be the high point of the book. Tell us what your child dislikes as well – strong mint perhaps, or standing still for ages – and the story can find a way round it.

At 0–2 brushing becomes a little rhyme about brushing up and down, front and back. At 3–5 a clear plot can turn brushing into a rescue mission, and at 6–9 there's room for dialogue, perhaps with a tooth that refuses to come out. For 10+ the book can be about everything that goes on in the mouth as the new teeth come through.

When the book is finished, your child can brush teddy's teeth, or count their own in the mirror with a torch. Let your child think up a name for their own toothbrush. Talk about what feels nice and what feels annoying about brushing. Before a trip to the dentist, it's a good book to have read a few times.

You fill in the child's name, age and what they like, and upload a photo. The story about brushing teeth 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.