My Mum and Me

There are four editions. For ages 0–2, the text is short and sensory — designed to be read aloud cuddled up with mum, with illustrations that carry all the emotion. For ages 3–5, the story is simple and grounded, built around a fun shared mini-adventure. For ages 6–8, we add richer dialogue and real narrative tension — courage to find together. For ages 9 and up, the tone moves closer to a short novel, with more nuanced emotional depth: moments of doubt, honest conversations. The content, illustrations and vocabulary are fully tailored to whichever edition you choose.

Absolutely — in fact, this gift lends itself beautifully to extended families. Each book is unique, so each order needs its own details (child's name and a photo of the mum in question). If you order multiple books at once, you'll automatically benefit from our volume discount. To make delivery easy, you can enter a different shipping address for each copy.

Mothering Sunday in the UK falls on the fourth Sunday of March. With express delivery, allow 7 days within mainland UK — so order at least 10–12 days before the big day for a comfortable margin. If you're truly at the last minute, the digital version (PDF) arrives within 24 hours, ideal for gifting on the day itself before the printed book follows. For any firm deadline, get in touch at hello@realbigstories.com.

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.