Christmas gift for a godchild, niece or nephew: a book with you in it too

You’re not their parent, but you’re someone special. Perhaps you taught them to fish or always have a spare hat in the car. A book with the child as the hero and you alongside them makes a Christmas gift about the two of you. Here’s how to create one without stepping on their parents’ toes.

The grown-up who doesn’t make the rules

Aunts, uncles and godparents have a special place in a child’s life. You’re a grown-up they trust, but you don’t have to enforce the rules in quite the same way. You make plans together, let them choose the film and, on an ordinary Tuesday, you’re perhaps a little more fun than their parents.

Even so, a Christmas gift can easily end up being money sent to their savings account. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it isn’t something they can look back on. A book with both of you in it says something different: I’ve noticed you this year.

Start with what you do together

Swimming, baking, building a den or looking at the stars. Whatever you do when you meet can become an adventure with the two of you as its heroes. An uncle who’s always talking about space could join a trip into space, while a godmother who loves to bake could appear in a story about baking.

It doesn’t have to be a Christmas story. A book about dinosaurs will still be read in April. You’ll find more suggestions among the book ideas.

If you don’t see each other often

Not every godparent is the fun grown-up who visits every weekend. Sometimes you live in another town, sometimes it’s been a year since you last met, and sometimes you honestly don’t know what the child likes any more. That’s more common than you might think, and it’s no reason not to make a book.

Ask their parents three things: what the child talks about right now, the name of the toy they can’t sleep without, and whether there’s something they’ve done this year that they’re proud of. That’s enough to make the book feel personal. A story in which you do something together can also be an invitation: next time we meet, let’s do it for real.

If you have several godchildren, nieces or nephews, a shared book can be both cheaper and more fun, with the cousins working as a team. But if their ages are very different, a book each may be better, since the book is written for one age group.

Ask the parents first

The parents decide whether a photo of their child can be used, so ask them before you do anything else. They’ll also know which nickname to use and whether the child already has a similar book. And they’ll know if June’s dinosaurs have given way to November’s horses. Most parents will be glad you asked.

Ask for a recent photo, taken from the front in daylight. You can send them the post about choosing a photo. If the book is a secret, they can take the picture without saying why.

Join them in the book

With a photo of yourself, you can have your own part in the adventure. There’s room for five: the child, you and three others, perhaps a sibling, your partner and the dog the child always asks about. The post about siblings and cousins explains how everyone can have something to do.

You don’t have to be the hero. Often it’s more fun the other way round. The stories can follow different patterns, and one is for the child to lead or rescue the grown-up: a godchild who finds the way home when their uncle gets lost in his own woods, or fixes the rocket when their aunt loses a screw. If you’d like that, write it in the box asking what should be in the story. A child who gets to be the clever one alongside a grown-up they love will often want to read that page again and again.

Your foreword

The foreword is the one page in the book that’s entirely yours. For a godchild, it could be about their christening: who held the baby, how it rained, or how everyone sang the wrong words in the third verse. Three sentences are enough, written the way you speak: ‘Dear Sophie, last summer you taught me that there’s a crab under every stone.’ There’s more about writing a foreword in the post about Christmas gifts for grandchildren.

What does being a godparent mean?

Some godparents are chosen at a christening, while other families name a special adult at a naming ceremony or in their own way. Whatever the title, the important thing is being there for the child as they grow. A book in which they see the two of you together is one way to show that they matter to you.

Getting the book to the family

Enter the child’s address at checkout and the hardback book will be sent there without a receipt in the parcel. A card with one of the book’s pictures and a few words from you means nobody has to guess who it’s from. Check the delivery estimate at checkout and order in good time for Christmas.

If you live far apart, or time is short, you can email the eBook directly from the book with a message. If the family speaks another language at home, the book can be translated for free, keeping the same pictures. If you’ve recently become a godparent, you’ll find more ideas under christening and naming gifts, and more festive suggestions under Christmas gifts.

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