Board book or storybook? Here is the simple version
A board book is the sturdy one for little hands. A storybook can mean many things: print, digital, softcover, hardcover, or file-based. TinyStar's main printed product is a personalized board book for ages 1-6.
Start their book: upload the photo, see a free preview
Board book
Thick chipboard pages, a laminated finish, rounded corners, a small square format. Made to be handled by a child who is still learning what hands are for. Shorter than a picture book: TinyStar's is 20 pages, ten illustrated spreads plus covers, 6 by 6 inches. Best for ages one to three, still good to six if it is a bedtime regular.
Storybook
The word covers almost anything with a story in it. A hardcover picture book with 32 paper pages. A softcover from a print-on-demand site. A PDF you read on a tablet. When a personalized book site says "storybook," check what you are actually getting: page material, page count, size, and whether it ships or downloads.
What TinyStar makes
Two things. The printed personalized board book, $49, drawn from one photo of your child, shipped within the United States in about two weeks. And the personalized digital story PDF, $19, the same story as a file by email. If you order the board book you can add the matching PDF for $10 during checkout, and it arrives first. No hardcover, no softcover. For the ages we make books for, board is the right object, and we would rather do one format well.
How to decide in ten seconds
Will the child hold it themselves? Board book. Is the reader an adult, on a screen, or far away? Digital story. Is it a first birthday, a new sibling, or any gift for a child under four? Board book, and add the PDF if the date is close.
The part that is the same either way
The story is written for the child's age and the details you give. Your child is drawn from your photo in one of ten illustration styles. You see a free preview of the cover and a spread before paying, and a person checks every page before print or delivery. If it is wrong, you choose a redo or a refund.
Board book versus hardcover, for toddlers specifically. Digital PDF versus printed, with the add-on explained.
Questions parents ask
Does TinyStar sell both formats?
Yes. TinyStar offers a printed personalized board book, a standalone personalized digital story PDF, and an optional PDF add-on during board book checkout.
What size is the board book?
6 by 6 inches, 20 chipboard pages with a matte laminate and rounded corners: ten illustrated spreads plus covers.
Is a board book too short for a five year old?
Not as a bedtime regular. Ten spreads is the right length for a book that gets read every night. For occasional shelf reading at that age a longer picture book is a fair alternative.