Christmas present for a 4-year-old: a personalised children's book

A four-year-old can turn the sofa into a ship and the floor into lava. In this book, their play becomes a real story, with two to four sentences per page, dialogue between the characters and an adventure your child finds their own way through. The pictures are based on a photo, so the hero looks just like your child.

Make a book for a 4-year-old

Hardback in time for Christmas: order by 29 November

Four-year-olds and pretend play

At four, pretend play comes with its own rules. ‘I'm the knight and you're the dragon, and then we become friends.’ Your child builds worlds from cushions and blankets, gives teddy a voice of his own and can keep a game going for ages. They speak in full sentences, make up stories and want to know how things work. Fears can appear too, whether it's the dark or the monster under the bed. A book for a four-year-old can be exciting while still feeling safe: the hero is brave, friends help out and everything works out in the end. Little jokes and funny-sounding words make them want to hear the page again and again.

Would you like to see a finished book before you decide? Browse our example books.

Pretend play in a book

Four-year-olds often love dressing up, and dressing up turns the costume box into the start of an adventure: a cardboard crown, a cape that used to be a curtain and Dad's much-too-big boots. If your child would like a real castle, choose knights and dragons. The dragon doesn't have to be dangerous; perhaps it's just lonely and wants to join in. Being brave might mean reaching out a hand.

Choose a theme

What to tell us about your child

Ask your child. A four-year-old often has strong opinions about what a story should be about, and whether the dragon should be green or purple. Add their playmates, a sibling or Grandma, and perhaps the soft toy that goes everywhere with them. A character can be included using a photo or described in words. Tell us about something that's happened, such as a lost mitten or a trip to the dentist, and it can be woven into the story. Courage and respect make good messages for this age, shown through what the hero does. The foreword is your own message to your child: what you see in them now that they're four.

Your four-year-old's favourite book

The book is usually read aloud, in bed or on the sofa after dinner. Your four-year-old may want to tell you what happens on the next page and, after a few evenings, know parts of the text by heart. Make it a game: let your child say the hero's lines while you read the rest. The book makes a lovely fourth birthday or Christmas present from family, and the eBook can be read in a browser a few minutes after purchase. If it becomes a favourite, you can make a sequel with the same characters and a new adventure, giving your child a book series of their own.