Personalized Kids Books:
Know What's Out There

There are no shortage of licensed characters with whom your child can interact:

• Garfield
• Raggedy-Ann
• Cabbage Patch Kids
• Flintstones
• Scooby-Doo
• Spy Kids
• McGruff

Your child can even pal around with superheroes:

• Batman
• Spiderman
• X-Men
• Superman and Wonder Woman
• The Justice League
• Marvel Heroes
• The Fantastic 4

In a personalized kids book, your child can

• hang out on Sesame Street
• be a Looney Tune
• be a matchmaker for Beauty and the Beast
• live in Mother Goose's world
• help the Three Little Pigs stave off homelessness
• be a Ballerina Princess
• get purple with Barney
• get small with Thumbelina
• figure out what the heck Flooty Hobbs is

If your child's interests are less commercialized (or if you wish they were!), a personalized kids book can put your child

• in the circus
• in a parade
• on a fishing trip
• on a camping trip
• in teddy bear land
• on a beach
• in space
• on a farm
• in a fire station

Your child can celebrate

• Christmas
• Kwanzaa
• Chanuka
• Easter
• A birthday, or
• Halloween...

All in a book. A book can make your child

• a ninja
• an engineer
• a bear
• a football, baseball, soccer or hockey star

In a book, a kid can

• join the navy
• meet baby Jesus
• meet grown up Jesus
• meet Santa Claus
• hang out on Noah's Ark
• live with the dinosaurs
• ride a swan
• help a mermaid
• be grown up

A personalized kids book can help your child

• learn to count
• learn to pray
• imagine going to school
• prepare for a new baby's arrival

Personalization usually means printing your child's name (and other details) into select portions of the book. Alternatively it can mean applying stickers with your child's name or inserting your child's picture. Know what you're getting!

When you buy a child one of these personalized books, you'll fill out a form with specific information for inserting in the book. For instance, in addition to the kid's name you might be asked his/her

• nickname
• best friend's name
• place of birth
• address
• gender
• favorite activity
• favorite sport

The better sites will give you an opportunity to read all or part of the book you'll be ordering. Look for how the personalization occurs in the text. Is it awkward or does it flow nicely?

Some of the books allow the giver's name to be printed as well.

Prices seem rather standardized, which is why I recommend finding a site with the largest selection. The one I've found is My Create-A-Book personalized kids books.

I also want to mention another personalization option

Rather than have a book printed up with your child's name in it, consider this...

Print out a pictureless picture book for your child to illustrate. It'll be the most unique book your child will ever own, because it will come alive with your child's one of a kind pictures.

Interested? Read more about my printable, pictureless picture books.

More on personalized children's books.

Best Children's Books home.