His hobby is the plot, his face is on the hero
A personalized book for him, whether he is your husband, boyfriend, dad, brother or son, with the thing he loves as the plot and his face on the hero, made from his photo.
Men are hard to shop for because the thing they want is usually the thing they are already doing: the fishing, the guitar, the sourdough, the golf, the garage full of half-finished projects. A personalized book for him makes that obsession the plot and makes him the hero, made from his photo, in a story we write around the way he actually is.
It works for a husband who claims he does not want anything, a boyfriend at the six-month mark, a dad who has every tool, a brother who lives far away and a son of any age. Add a second character, from the kids to the dog to the fishing buddy, pick the style he would pick, and read the digital edition tonight.
The gift for the man who says he needs nothing
He does not need another gadget, and he would not have bought this for himself. A book where he is the hero of the thing he loves, the fishing trip that finally lands the big one, the band that finally plays the show, gets the reaction the gadget never does: he laughs, then he goes quiet, then he shows it to his brother. We write it from what you tell us about him, and we draw him from a photo, so the hero is unmistakably him, beard and all.
Five ways this book could go
Use one as it is, or tell us your own. The story is written fresh either way.
Your husband finally lands the fish he has talked about for eleven years, and it turns out to have been listening.
Your dad's garage projects come to life at midnight and demand to know when he plans to finish them.
Your boyfriend as the last guitarist on earth, hired to play one song that brings the power back.
Your brother, across the country, runs a smokehouse that becomes the only restaurant open on the day the town needs one.
Your ten-year-old son and the family dog defend the backyard from an invasion of very polite squirrels.
Your idea
The stuffed rabbit, the trip to the lake, the sourdough that never rose. Type it in and it ends up on the page.
Start the bookReady tonight, printed in about ten days
Tell us about them
Name, age, what they love, the occasion, and a photo or two. Up to three people or pets in one book, any age.
See the first pages free
We write and illustrate a story around them in the style you picked. Change anything before you pay.
Read it, then hold it
The digital book is yours in minutes. Add the Keepsake Hardcover with your dedication printed on the first page.
Gifting tips
- Ask what he would do with a free Saturday and no chores; that is the plot.
- Use a photo where he is facing the camera; the one with the fish held up hides his face.
- Put the running joke in, the one the whole family knows; it becomes the best page.
- If his birthday is close, get the digital edition now and the hardcover for the shelf later.
One price per book
The Storybook
- Up to 24 pages in any art style
- Their photo becomes the hero
- Online, PDF and a link to share
Keepsake Hardcover
- 8.5″ square premium hardcover
- Dedication and bookplate printed inside
- Ships in 7–12 business days
Not sure of their photo or their favourite things? Send an e-gift and let them make it.
For him book questions
What kind of story works for a man?
The one built around what he already loves. A fisherman gets a fishing story, a grill master gets a cook-off, a runner gets a race with something at stake, a dad gets a rescue mission with the kids. We write the plot from what you tell us and draw him from a photo, so the hero is him and the story is his.
Will a grown man really like a picture book?
He will pretend not to and then read it twice. The trick is that it is about him, drawn from his photo, in a style like painterly or 3D animation that does not feel like a nursery. The details come from you, so the jokes land. Most men keep it on the desk, where it is guaranteed to be asked about.
Can it be for my son?
Yes, at any age. A five-year-old gets a story at his reading level about the dinosaur he will not stop talking about; a teenager gets an anime-style adventure built on his sport or his game; a grown son gets the family history told as the saga it was. Tell us his age and his thing, and we write to both.
What does it cost?
The digital edition is $14.99, ready to read tonight on a phone or tablet. The keepsake hardcover is $39.99 and includes the digital edition and US shipping; it is an 8.5-inch square premium hardcover with a dedication page and a printed bookplate. The art style and the number of characters do not change the price.
