which personalised children’s book fits your family? the three types compared

19 August 2026

there are roughly three types of personalised children’s books: books where you fill in a name, photo books with your own photos printed, and books written and illustrated from your photos. which one fits depends on your budget, the child’s age and how personal you want it. here they are, side by side, including where another type is the better choice than ours.

original photo the book Lauren en de dino's was made from

your photos

your book

type 1: the name book

the best-known type: an existing story with your child’s name filled in, sometimes with a few options for hair colour or glasses. it costs roughly € 15 to € 30, choosing is quick, and for very young children hearing their own name is already magical. the honest note: the story itself is the same for every child. your child appears in it, but it isn’t about your family.

type 2: the photo book

a photo book prints your own photos as a book, usually with short captions you write yourself. prices run from about € 15 to € 40, depending on size and page count. it’s the best choice for preserving memories, like a trip or the first year. adults enjoy leafing through it as much as children. the note: it’s an album, not a bedtime story. there’s no storyline for a child to get lost in, and you write and arrange everything yourself.

type 3: written and illustrated from your photos

the newest type, and the one we make. you upload 3 to 30 photos, and a real story is written and every page illustrated from them: your child plays themselves in a picture book, along with whoever else is in the photos. at fonkle that costs € 34,95 as a softcover, € 39,95 as a hardcover or € 9,95 as a digital version, and you see the complete book for free first. our own honest note: the illustrations are drawings, not photos. it’s your child the way they’d look in a picture book. that’s exactly the charm, but good to know.

see how such a book is made

which type fits which situation?

small budget, or a gift from faraway family without photos of the child: pick the name book. preserving memories of a trip or the first year, mostly for yourselves and for later: pick the photo book. a bedtime book in which your child recognises themselves, about your adventures: that’s type three. torn between two types? think about who will open it most often: the child (story) or the parents (memories).

what to check before you order

four questions, for any shop. one: do you see the result beforehand, or only on delivery? two: is shipping included in the price? three: what happens to your photos: are they stored, shared, deleted when you want? four: how long is delivery, especially around holidays? whoever answers those four clearly deserves your trust. we answer all four on our pages, and the most important one is above: with us you see the whole book first, for free.

a name book, written around your photos