My First Day Back

Ideally before — this is a preparation book. Reading it in the weeks leading up to school helps your child picture each step of the big day (the backpack, the playground, the goodbye, the classroom) and approach it with confidence. Keep production time in mind: order in mid-July or early August for a relaxed read during the summer holidays. It also works beautifully after the first day, as a way to put words to everything your child has just experienced.

Both. The story covers the universal milestones of any first day back — the morning of the big day, arriving in the yard, discovering the classroom, making first friends — without specifying whether it's a brand-new start or a new school. For ages 3–5, the gentle tone is perfect for a first day of kindergarten; for older children, the story speaks just as well to a child walking into an unfamiliar school for the first time.

Yes — it's the same school day, told at your child's level. For ages 3–5, the tone is warm and sensory: the puppet that calls the register, the goodbye hug ritual. For ages 6–8, your child takes centre stage: a clue hunt around the classroom, a first friend made by working together. For ages 9 and up, the story names the real emotions — the fear of being judged, the end of summer — with a sharper humour, and never any drama.

Our express delivery takes 7 days within mainland UK — the safe option if you need the book by a specific date. Standard delivery takes 10 to 15 working days when there's no rush. In a real hurry? The digital version (PDF) is ready within 24 hours of your order being confirmed. For international deliveries, allow extra time depending on the destination. You'll receive a tracking number by email as soon as your order ships. Any questions? Drop us a line at hello@realbigstories.com.

The book is A4 landscape format (29.7 × 21 cm when closed) — perfect for reading together side by side or laying flat on a table. The standard version has 10 illustrated chapters, plus an introduction and conclusion, coming to around 28 pages in total. The long version is nearly twice that, with 20 chapters and roughly 48 pages. Each chapter features a full-page illustration paired with text tailored to your child's age.

Printed on thick, premium matte paper. The hardcover is sturdy and the same high quality across all age ranges. The binding is sewn and glued to last — this is a book built to be read a hundred times, not to gather dust at the back of a drawer.

Yes — as long as your book hasn't gone to print yet, which is usually within the first few hours after ordering. Get in touch as quickly as possible at hello@realbigstories.com with your order number and the change you need (a misspelled name, a photo to swap, a character to adjust). Once printing has started, we're unable to make any further changes.

If something isn't right — a printing defect, a quality issue, or an illustration that doesn't look like your child — contact us as soon as possible after receiving your order at hello@realbigstories.com. We'll either reprint or give you a full refund, no questions asked. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, we make it right.

Absolutely. Your photos are used solely to create your book. They are never shared, never used for anything else, and we'll delete them from our servers upon request. All our partners — payment, hosting, and printing — are fully GDPR compliant.