Stories for birthdays, holidays, and the big little moments
Some days feel worth saving: a birthday, a first day, a new sibling, a holiday morning. TinyStar can shape the story around that moment while still making the child the hero.
Start their book: upload the photo, see a free preview
The occasions you can pick
When you fill in the form there is one box for an occasion. The list is short on purpose: becoming a big sibling, first day of school, moving to a new home, adoption day, learning to ride a bike, learning to swim, a birthday party. Then the holidays: Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, the Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's. Or no occasion at all, which is also a fine choice.
The occasion sets the setting and the shape of the day. Your child, drawn from the photo you upload, is still the one the story is about. A Christmas book is not a book about Christmas with your kid in the corner. It is a book about your kid, on Christmas morning.
The big sibling book
This is the one we get asked about most. A new baby is arriving and the two year old is about to lose top billing. A board book in which they are the hero, the helper, the one who knows the songs, does more than a "big brother" t-shirt. Give us the baby's name in the details box and it goes in the story. Order it before the due date; two weeks is the usual door to door time.
First birthday, and the ones after
For a first birthday the child is drawn as they are right now, in the photo from this month, and the story is written for a one year old: short lines, one idea per page, a phrase that comes back so they can chant it later. Mark the age. In three years you will not remember what they looked like at one, and the book will.
Holidays without the generic feeling
Holiday books are usually the most generic thing on the shelf. Here the holiday is the backdrop and the details you gave are the story: the dog that steals the stocking, the grandparent who always brings the pie. Halloween and Christmas books need to be ordered by mid October and early December respectively to arrive in time within the United States.
The moments in between
Learning to ride a bike. The first swim without the floaties. Moving to a house with a different bedroom. These are the chapters families actually remember and rarely photograph well. A board book about the wobbly bike summer, with the kid on the bike, is the version of that memory you can hand to them at fifteen.
Two kids, one box
If the occasion involves two children, the new baby and the big sibling, or a joint birthday, two board books are $89 together with free US shipping instead of $98. Make the first book, then add the second child from the preview screen.
Adventure themes, superhero, space, undersea, can be combined with any occasion, or you can skip both and let the story be about an ordinary day. For toddlers, here is what changes with age.
Questions parents ask
Which occasions can I choose?
Becoming a big sibling, first day of school, moving to a new home, adoption day, learning to ride a bike, learning to swim, a birthday party, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, the Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, or no occasion.
Can I combine an occasion with an adventure theme?
Yes. A superhero book for a new big sibling or an undersea book for a first birthday both work. Both boxes are optional.
When should I order a holiday book?
Allow about two weeks for US delivery: mid October for Halloween, early December for Christmas. Adding the $10 digital PDF gets the story to you sooner.