12 of the best personalised books for children 2024
Personalised books for children are a great way to make the mini humans in your life feel valued and thought of
Personalised books for children are always a gift winner - they make the little humans in your life feel seen, and valued.
While there is always a place for their toys, books are important too. Done every day - whether magazines, signs, or books - reading, no matter the content (as long as it's age-appropriate), exposes little ones to new words and ways of using language. It also helps them learn general information about the world. Books also help children build empathy, learn how to handle challenging feelings, and develop their imagination.
Little humans love personalised things (take a look through our personalised baby gifts too), and will be delighted to play a part in these bold adventures, with many options allowing you to create characters that look just like them or special books that see them star alongside their favourite characters from the likes of Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol will have them hooked. If you can find a personalised interactive book for babies and toddlers, then it's definitely a win-win.
Check out our curated edit of stories to inspire kids' reading with these fabulous personalised books for children - they make the best keepsake too.
12 of the best personalised books for children
Why you can trust GoodtoKnow.
Delivery: £3.75, 3-5 working days| Age: 0-3 years
How is it personalised: Name, choose a character to resemble the child, personal dedication, choice of cover colour.
What's the story?: A child playing peekaboo throughout the day all over the house. Playful and interactive, perfect for reading out loud.
Mum-of-one Steph tells us; "I bought this for my friend's baby girl, she loves to play peekaboo so it seemed a perfect fit. The paper is thick so it's trickier for excited little hands to tear."
Delivery: £3.99, 3-5 working days| Age: 0-5 years
How is it personalised: The child’s name on the cover, and throughout the story as well as in the illustrations.
What's the story?: Send your child on their very own space odyssey, where they come across sights that are absolutely out of this world on their adventure.
Your little one will not only love being part of the story, but will adore trying to spot their name in the illustrations too. It also makes a thoughtful gift for any other little ones in your life.
Delivery: £3.75, 3-5 working days| Age: 0-3 years
How is it personalised: Child's name on cover and throughout book, choose character resembling child, personal dedication, choose cover colour.
What's the story?: The child's character multiplies as the story flows. The little 'you' could be pirates digging for treasure. Help them spot and count each version of themselves.
Mum-of-twins, Dionne tells us; "I bought this for my girls, and they loved it. Choosing the characters is a really cute touch."
Delivery: £3.75, 3-5 working days| Age: 2-4 years
How is it personalised: Personal dedication, colour of front cover, add child's name, choose their character and they're on every page.
What's the story?: Take your little one on an ABC journey through these pages full of positive messages and lively illustrations, such as the funny piano-playing octopus. Choose your child’s name and character from six avatars. Then watch their eyes light up as they appear on every page.
It's sure to make learning more meaningful, mum-of-one Bex tells us; "My little one can recognise her name which made it much more fun to engage with her when reading and learning her letters.”
Delivery: £3.75, 3-5 working days| Age: 2-5 years
How is it personalised: Add child's name - it's used on the front of the book. Choose gender, hair colour and style, skin colour and eye colour.
What's the story?: Peppa and little bro George go on a scavenger hunt. Each spread features a letter in the child’s name as a clue in the hunt. As the piggy duo solves the hunt, the child’s character (personalized by hair type, eye color, etc) and name appear in the book. Their name is also on the cover, plus there’s the option to upgrade to hardback.
"I bought this book for my 3-year-old niece and she loved it, her excitement levels were off the charts to see her name." Aunty to two, Louise tells us.
Delivery: Free, 3-5 working days| Age: N3-8 years
How is it personalised: Add the child's name on the front of the book. Choose gender, hair colour and style, skin colour, and eye colour. Plus personalised dedication.
What's the story?: The rhyming verse takes kids on an adventure, teaching them important lessons, from making friends, being adventurous, loving their family, overcoming fears, learning new things, finding happiness, and believing in themselves.
Dad-of-two, Lee tells us "I swear, seeing herself on the pages, brings the story to life for my daughter."
Delivery: £3.75, 3-5 working days| Age: 3-5 years
How is it personalised: Add the child's name . Choose gender, hair colour and style, skin and eye colour. You can also swap the word daddy for any man important in their little lives - and change their eye colour, clothes, facial hair, glasses etc.
What's the story?: Paw Patrol pups help your child plan a surprise party for their ‘Daddy’ as they explain all the things they love doing with him. "My son's OBSESSED with Paw Patrol, we read this before bed at least three times." Olivia, mum-of-two tells us.
Delivery: Free, next day | Age: 3-6 years
How is it personalised: Add your child’s name using the alphabet stickers provided. It will appear on every page through the clever cut-out window so your child stars in their very own story.
What's the story?: The story is set in a forest, and animal friends have been hearing scary noises, and they need a brave superhero to figure out where the sound is coming from. And there's only one superhero for the job...
Mum-of-one, Grace tells us; "My 3-year-old loved not just being part of the story, but also being the superhero."
Delivery: £3.75, 5-10 working days| Age: 0-5 years
How is it personalised: Add the child's name, skin and hair colour and their gender.
What's the story?: As personalized books for kids go this lovely story lets the little person in your life know all your wishes for their future - making friends, respecting the earth, being adventurous, loving their family, overcoming fears, learning new things, finding happiness, and believing in themselves.
"My sister bought this for my son last year, and we love the little sorty so much we're buying it back for his little cousin this Christmas." Mum-of-two, Kiran tells us.
Delivery: 4-7 days | Age: 4-7 years
How is it personalised: You can personalise each child's appearance, including hairstyle, colour, clothes, and glasses.
What's the story?: Great gift for two besties, or siblings. The adventure begins in a library, where there's a world of books. As they travel from tale to tale, they'll enjoy meeting storybook favourites, such as dinosaurs and unicorns. And familiar characters like Mowgli and Heidi will join in the fun too.
"I bought this book as a way of introducing my five-year-old to his new brother. He squealed with delight at the adventures they got up to." Mum-of-two, Louise shares with us.
Delivery: £3.75, 3-5 working days| Age: 6-10 years
How is it personalised: Choose gender, skin and hair colour. next choose three heroes (from the eight) they get to 'meet' in the story. Choose cover colour, and add personal dedication.
What's the story?: Add your youngster right into the pages of the story. Featuring influential figures like Martin Luther King, Florence Nightingale and Malala Yousafzai - the hardest part is choosing which three to take your kid on their storybook adventure.
"I got this for my son last year and I chose three female figures, to share and show him just how strong, powerful, and important female friendships are too." Mum-of-one, Steph tells us.
Delivery: £4.49, 7 days| Age: 4-10 years+
How is it personalised: Add their name to the front cover and create an illustrated character that looks just like them.
What's the story?: When a parallel universe portal arrives at a child’s door, they travel to six dazzling worlds to spot alternative versions of themselves! There are also puzzles to solve along the way for hours of entertainment.
For parents who remember the joy of Where's Wally, this is a wonderful way to share some of that nostalgia with your children. They'll love hunting for different versions of themselves on every page, and there are other stories in the Where Are You? series to add to your collection.
Are personalised books worth it?
Yes, for many reasons. Though, this is a fair question, as times are financially hard at the moment for some, and personalised books can be pricier than say your local charity shop. Personalised books are important as, like the Children's Book Review says; "Seeing themselves as the star of a personalized book can boost a child’s confidence by allowing them to feel special and unique and see themselves as brave, kind, and empowered. Positive feelings of self-worth can lead to success at school, in friendships, and at home. Imagination and creativity send the message that a child’s ideas are important, and personalized books are a great launchpad to encourage imaginative play."
Continue reading
Best Buys
Best toys for 1 year olds: check out our curated list of 20 tried and tested buys for kids aged 12 months.
Craft ideas
Turn craft time into gift-making time with these ideas for handmade personalised pressies.
How to
How to get cheap and free books: Kindle, audio books, E-books and more
GoodtoKnow Newsletter
Parenting advice, hot topics, best buys and family finance tips delivered straight to your inbox.
Stephanie Lowe is Family Editor at GoodToKnow covering all things parenting, pregnancy and more. She has over 13 years' experience as a digital journalist with a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to all things family and lifestyle. Stephanie lives in Kent with her husband and son, Ted. Just keeping on top of school emails/fund raisers/non-uniform days/packed lunches is her second full time job.
-
Is TikTok safe for kids and teenagers? Experts reveal what parents really need to know about the popular video platform
Parents are concerned about the safety of children using social media, so we've done some digging and asked the experts to explain if TikTok is safe for kids.
By Ellie Hutchings Published
-
Girls with gender-neutral baby names are more likely to succeed in traditionally 'male-dominated' careers, research says - would you choose a unisex moniker?
Babies called Alex, Billie and Cameron could be set for successful careers, as research finds girls with gender-neutral baby names are more likely to excel in male-dominated fields
By Ellie Hutchings Published
-
9 of the best mix and make toys that make perfect gifts when you have no idea what to buy
The best mix and make toys combine creativity, mystery and a touch of magic for an engaging play experience that is guaranteed to spark any child's imagination
By Sarah Handley Published
-
6 best Tonies for preschoolers (perfect for independent play), including the brand new Blippi Tonie
As Tonies launches new Blippi character, we share our 6 favourite Tonies for preschoolers
By Sarah Handley Published
-
Seen one baby sleeping bag, seen them all? Nope, the Ickle Bubba Sleep Bag impressed us - here's why
The Ickle Bubba Sleep Bag is a high quality sleeping bag with a stylish pattern suitable for babies aged 6-18 months.
By Heidi Scrimgeour Published
-
Is this travel crib tucked in a changing bag the perfect solution for busy parents on the go? We found out...
The Bizzy Growin Pod is a baby changing bag that converts into a travel cot for daytime naps.
By Kathryn Williams Published
-
Cookeez Makery is so much more than a one hit wonder, it's the toy I wish I had as a kid - here's why
We test the Cookeez Makery Baked Treatz Oven playset and explain why we think it's one of the best toys around
By Sarah Handley Published
-
Best interactive books for babies and toddlers - 9 tried-and-tested collections that get our seal of approval
After putting the best interactive books through their paces, these are the collections we would recommend to any parent
By Sarah Handley Published
-
15 best stacking and nesting toys for babies and toddlers - and why your little one loves them so much
As well as being a great form of play, the best stacking and nesting toys are key for your infant's development too
By Sarah Handley Published
-
Functional and stylish? The SnüzPod Studio is a beautiful bedside crib - with wheels
We put the SnüzPod Studio to the test before it even hit shop floors - and its striking design is perfect for contemporary living
By Kathryn Williams Published