A personalised book about a new pet

A new pet is one of the first times a child gets to look after something alive. It is exciting and a little bit serious: the animal needs food, water, somewhere to sleep and someone who is gentle. A book about it lets your child practise all of that within the safety of a story – choosing a name, waiting patiently for a shy animal, understanding that a rabbit does not want to be carried about all the time. And it makes your child and the animal a pair, where your child learns and the animal learns to trust them.

The book can follow the animal from day one: the journey home, the first night when it squeaks in its basket, the first time it dares to come out on its own. It can be about teaching a puppy to sit, searching for a kitten that has hidden in the wardrobe, or building a run for a rabbit.

It can also let the animal take your child on an adventure – a dog that picks up a trail in the woods, a budgie that knows the way across the rooftops, a guinea pig with a secret tunnel behind the sofa. If the animal comes from a rescue centre or another family, the story can be about how it gets used to new voices, new smells and a new name on its food bowl.

The best material is the animal itself. Tell us what kind of animal it is, its colour, its name if it already has one, and everything you have noticed so far: that the cat sleeps in the sink, that the dog is scared of the hoover, that the guinea pig whistles whenever the fridge opens. With a photo of the animal it gets a place of its own in the pictures and looks just like itself, and whoever looks after it alongside your child can be in the book too.

For the youngest, the animal's noises and a few simple happenings are enough: the nose, the tail, the food in the bowl. Pre-schoolers like to see themselves helping. School-age children can handle a plot where the responsibility sometimes feels heavy – a walk in the rain, a cage that needs cleaning – and where it is worth it all the same.

After reading, make a list together of what the animal needs every day and stick it on the fridge. Talk about who does what when your child is away, too. If you are getting a rabbit or a guinea pig, it is good to know that both are social animals that are happiest with a companion of their own kind.

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