Write your own children's book.We'll illustrate it.
You write every word. We paint every page, with your child as the hero alongside the people, pets and toys they love, painted from your photos. A real picture book that no one else could have written.
Free to write. See your cover and first three pages painted before you pay.
For the stories only your family can tell
The bedtime tale you have told a hundred times. The adventure your eight-year-old wrote in a notebook. The poem for a birthday or a new baby.
Young authors
Your child wrote a story about saving the world with their hamster? Type it in page by page and they become a published author, with themselves and their real hamster in every picture.
Parent storytellers
The made-up story they beg to hear again? Write it down once and it becomes a book they can read on their own, with your family as the cast.
Milestones and gifts
A birthday poem, a story about a new sibling, a first day of school, a grandparent's memories. Write the words and give a book they will keep.
How to turn your story into a picture book
Five steps, and you are in charge of every one.
1.Choose your characters
Upload a photo of your child, and of anyone else who belongs in the story: a brother, a grandma, the dog, the bunny they sleep with. We paint from the photos, so everyone looks like themselves on every page.
2.Write your story
Type the words for each page, 12 to 16 pages: a rhyming poem, a bedtime tale, a family adventure. Add a note for any page you already picture ("sunset at the beach", "close-up of the puppy").
3.Review the scenes
Before anything is painted, see what we plan to draw on each page: what is happening, where, and the camera view. Change anything that does not match what you imagined.
4.See the first pages free
We paint your cover and the first three pages. Love them? Choose your book and we paint the rest. Go back and edit your words or repaint a page any time before you approve it.
5.Hold it in your hands
Download an instant PDF, or order a printed hardcover or a premium layflat edition delivered to your door.
Your words, exactly as you wrote them
We do not rewrite, shorten or “improve” your story. What you type is what prints.
- Your line breaks and stanzas stay where you put them.
- Rhyme, rhythm and punctuation are left untouched.
- Syllable hyphens for early readers ("Hap-py birth-day") are kept.
- Change any word later, right up until you approve the book.
Page 1, as typed
Hap-py birth-day, dear Mi-la, the can-dles burn so bright. Make a wish, then blow them out, and dream of cake to-night!
From a real family-written book
Every word written by the family. Every page painted by Enchantably, with the same two brothers, the same dog and the same toys throughout.
A few lines the family wrote
With flashlights held tight in their small, eager hands, Two six-year-old captains of untamed new lands, Ander and Alden stepped into the night, Ready to give the dark shadows a fright.
Why families write with us
Every word is yours
We never rewrite your story. It is printed exactly as you typed it, line breaks and all.
Your child is the hero
Painted from your photos, and the same child on every page. Their toys, pets and family can join them, or a favorite toy can take the lead.
Art direction, page by page
Leave a note for any page, then review every scene before it is painted. You decide what the reader sees.
17 languages
Write in English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Bengali, Arabic, Urdu, Vietnamese, Portuguese or Italian.
Four illustration styles
Classic Storybook, Magical Adventure, Painted Storybook, or Whimsical & Playful. Pick the one that fits your story.
Private by design
Your photos stay with your story until you delete it. We never use them, or anything about your children, to train AI, and will never sell your data.
Free to write. Pay only when you love it.
We paint your cover and first three pages for free. Then choose your book.
Digital PDF
$12.99
Instant download to read on any screen or print at home.
Printed Hardcover
$46.99
A real hardcover picture book, printed and shipped to you.
Premium Layflat
$74.99
A premium hardcover that opens completely flat, so every illustration spans both pages.
If the finished book is not what you hoped, ask for a full refund any time before you approve it. Ordering also tops your credits up to 30 for redos.
Printed books ship for $6.99. See full pricing
Questions about writing your own book
Can I write my own children's book and have it illustrated?
Yes. That is exactly what My Story, My Way is for. Type your story page by page (12 to 16 pages), upload photos of your characters, and we paint every page. Your words are printed exactly as you write them.
Will you change my words?
No. Your text appears as you typed it: your line breaks, rhymes and punctuation, and even syllable hyphens for early readers ("Hap-py birth-day"). Nothing is rewritten by AI.
Who appears in the pictures?
Anyone you add: your child, siblings, parents, grandparents, pets or a favorite stuffed animal. We paint each character from your photos so they look like themselves on every page. If your story mentions someone you have not added yet, we point them out so you can describe them.
Why does a book need at least 12 pages?
Printed hardcovers need a minimum number of pages to bind properly, so every My Story, My Way book has 12 to 16 pages of story, each with its own illustration.
Can I change my story after the pictures are painted?
Yes. You can edit your words and review your scenes any time before you approve the book for printing, and repaint any page you do not love. The number of pages is set once painting begins.
How much does it cost?
Writing your story and seeing your cover and first three pages painted is free, with no credit card needed. When you love it, choose a Digital PDF ($12.99), a Printed Hardcover ($46.99) or a Premium Layflat ($74.99). Printed books ship for $6.99.
What if the finished book is not what I hoped?
Ask for a full refund any time before you approve it. Ordering also tops your credits up to 30 for redos.
Is AI involved?
The story is entirely yours. We use AI only to help paint the illustrations from your photos and your directions, and you review every scene and every page before the book is printed.
What happens to the photos I upload?
They are stored with your story so pages can be repainted, and deleted when you delete the story or your account. We never use your photos or information about your children to train AI models, and we never sell personal information.
What if I would rather not write it myself?
Choose a ready-made story from the Story Glade and personalize it with your child, or tell our storyteller your idea and we write a custom poem for you.
Rather not write it yourself? Browse ready-made stories to personalize, or tell us your idea and we write it for you. More answers in our FAQ.
Their story is waiting to be told
No templates and no one rewriting your words. Just your story, your characters, and a book that belongs entirely to your family.
Start Writing Your StoryFree to write. See your cover and first pages free, then choose your book.