How the sheets work
Each drawing starts with a single shape, usually a circle or an oval. The next step might add ears, legs or a hat. The new lines are coloured while the rest are grey, so your child can see exactly what to add and draw at their own pace.
The sheets are suitable from around four years old, with a grown-up alongside to begin with. Children aged six and up can usually complete a sheet on their own and soon start adding details of their own. That’s the idea: a cat with spots or a dragon with five horns is even better than a copy.
From drawing to book
Has your child drawn a character they’re proud of? Photograph it from directly above in daylight, then upload the picture when you create the book, in the place where you would normally add a photo. The character becomes the hero or the hero’s companion, illustrated in the book’s style with the same colours and shapes on every page.
Using a drawing means you don’t send us a photo of your child, and the book becomes something your child has helped create. It makes a lovely gift for grandparents or a keepsake of how your child drew that year.
What can you do with all those drawings?
Most families have a box full of them. One simple idea is to keep the best one from each month and photograph the rest before letting them go. Write the date and your child’s age on the back, and the drawings become a little record of how they’ve grown.
The drawing your child talks about most is often the one that deserves a story of its own. If you’d rather colour than draw, try our printable colouring pages. And if your child would like to make up a story, we have a story template and story dice to print.