Marina is hesitating. Her goddaughter Inès is about to turn four, and the idea of a personalised book with a photo and name has been on her mind for weeks. However, one question is holding her back: how does it actually work? Will it really look like Inès, or is it just a name stuck onto a ready-made story? Here, step by step, is what happens between the moment you send us a photo and the moment your child opens their book.
Good news: it's simpler than you might think. In fact, you give very little, but the child receives so much.
Personalised book with photo and name: how it works
The idea can be summed up in one sentence. You send us a photo and the child's name, and our illustrators turn them into the hero of their very own adventure. Not a bystander. The hero, page after page, from start to finish.
On your side, it only takes a moment. On our side, that's when the real work begins: our artisans study the face in the photo, capture what makes the child unique, then draw them into every scene of the story. Their name, meanwhile, appears wherever it should, in the title, throughout the tale, on the pages you'll turn together.
| What you provide | What your child receives |
|---|---|
| A clear photo of their face | A hero who truly looks like them |
| The child's name | Their name in the title and throughout the story |
| A few preferences (the world they love) | A story tailored just for them |
| A little patience | A beautiful printed book, to keep for years |
What you provide: a photo and a name
It all starts there. A photo and a name are all that's strictly needed. For the photo, choose one where the face is clearly visible, facing forward, ideally in daylight. A genuine smile, open eyes, nothing blurry. For example, that snapshot of Thiago laughing his head off at teatime often makes a better hero than a stiff, posed portrait.
The name then weaves its way through the whole story. Léa, Amine, Sofia or Yaël: it's this name your child will see written down, this name you'll read aloud together. You also let us know what they love, dragons, space, the sea, so the world feels like their own. And that's just about all we ask of you.
The child becomes the hero of the story
Now comes the magical part. Starting from the photo, their features inspire the illustrations. The shape of the face, the colour of the hair, the little beauty spot on the cheek: our illustrators use all of this to bring the child to life as a paper hero. Then the child becomes the hero who weathers the storm, tames the dragon, or finds their way home.
This detail changes everything. Indeed, when Inès turns the pages, she isn't following some unfamiliar little girl. She's following herself. As a result, she's hooked, pointing at the pictures, asking for one more read. Recognising yourself in a book isn't just a nice extra: it's what turns a story into a memory.
Our creative team also makes sure the story holds together properly. A real adventure, with a beginning, a fear overcome, and an ending that reassures. The child isn't just drawn into the background. They act, they decide, they grow over the course of the story.
Why seeing themselves as the hero matters so much
Childhood specialists often point this out: a child builds their sense of self through the way others see them and the stories they're told. What's more, recognising yourself in a book means feeling capable. The Naître et Grandir website, on self-esteem, describes this mechanism well: a child who feels valued dares more.
Seeing themselves face their fear of the dark and overcome it, in their own likeness, acts like a small rehearsal. Yaël, who's afraid of water, reads the story where he dives in as the hero. Then, at the swimming pool, something shifts. Nothing dramatic, just a door left slightly open. That's why so many parents tell us their child asked for their book every single night.
What to expect: your printed book
At the end of the journey, your book arrives. A beautiful printed album, with a sturdy cover and pages that can withstand little hands and bedtime re-reads. Indeed, this isn't a disposable object. It's a book that gets a place on the shelf, gets pulled out again at ten years old, and gets shown off proudly to a cousin.
Allow a few days for creation, while our artisans polish every page. In the meantime, the story is taking shape behind the scenes. Then the book arrives at your door, ready to be given as a gift. As for Marina, she eventually took the plunge. On the day of the birthday, Inès hugged the book tight before she'd even opened it.
If you're feeling inspired, you can create your child's book in just a few minutes. You provide the photo and the name, Real Big Stories takes care of the magic. And one evening soon, you'll be reading a story where your child is, at last, the hero.