We don’t put your child’s name in a story. We write a story that belongs to them.

It starts with what the story is for

Before you pick a setting, you choose what you’d like the book to do. That decides the shape of the whole story — a bedtime book slows down page by page; a confidence book lets the first attempt go wrong.

• Adventure — A wonderful, imaginative adventure.
• Confidence — A story about discovering what they can do.
• Big feelings — A gentle story exploring emotions.
• Friendship — Making connections and being yourself.
• Something new — For preschool, school, a new sibling or anything unfamiliar.
• Bedtime — Gentle, reassuring and calming.
• Learning — A story that naturally introduces a concept.
• Just for fun — Pure imagination and giggles.

Written for their age, not just about them

A two-year-old and an eight-year-old need different books. Sentence length, words per page, vocabulary and how much dialogue there is all change with age:

1–2 years · 12–25 words a page

Very simple, repetitive, rhythmic. Short sentences of 4–8 words. Concrete nouns, sounds to join in with.

3–4 years · 25–45 words a page

Simple sentences, strong rhythm, a repeated refrain. One idea per page. Familiar vocabulary with one or two lovely new words.

5–6 years · 40–60 words a page

Fuller sentences and some dialogue. A clear problem and a satisfying turn. Playful language and gentle humour.

7–9 years · 55–80 words a page

Richer vocabulary, real dialogue, a chapter-like rhythm. Room for a subplot and for the child to be genuinely clever.

Storytelling principles, in plain English

• Repetition with purpose. Younger readers get a refrain that returns — the part they’ll say along with you.
• New words, gently. One or two per book, used so the picture and sentence explain them.
• The child acts. They notice, decide, try and sometimes fail first. Confidence is shown through what they do.
• Feelings named honestly. A worry is put into words and moved through, never lectured away.
• Belonging. Their family, friends and pets are real characters with real moments.
• Every page earns its place. A clear beginning, a real problem, a satisfying ending — no filler.

These are the choices a good picture-book editor makes. They are not a learning programme or a therapy tool, and a TaleForMe book doesn’t replace teachers, therapists or professional support — it’s a book to read together.

The same child on every page

The classic problem with AI-illustrated books is a child who looks different on every page. We draw your child’s character first — hair, face, skin tone, age, one outfit — and show it to you before the story is written. Every page is then drawn from that one picture, and the people and pets who appear most get a reference drawing of their own.

You see it before you pay

The whole story is written and the opening pages are illustrated for free. Read it, change any word, redraw the pictures you can see — and only pay if it feels like theirs.

Careful with your child’s details

Photos are optional and deleted within the hour. Nothing you type is sent to the image model, and nothing is used to train AI. Read how we keep it safe.