The dog is the hero. Finally.
A personalized book about your dog or cat, drawn from their photo as the hero of a story written just for them, and the perfect gift for the person who talks about that pet constantly.
Every dog owner has been telling you the same story for years, the one about the squirrel or the stolen sandwich or the time he learned to open the fridge. A personalized book about a dog puts that story on the page with the dog as the hero, drawn from a photo, in whichever of our eight art styles suits his particular face. Cats are also eligible.
It is a gift for the pet lover as much as the pet: the owner can be in the book too, up to three people or pets in one story, so a couple and their beagle, a kid and two cats, or a grandmother and the cat who chose her. We write and illustrate it for you, and the digital edition is ready to read tonight.
Because the dog is family, and family gets a book
Pets do not last as long as we would like, which is the quiet reason a book about one matters. It is the record of the dog at his best, drawn from a photo so the ears and the eyebrows are right, in a story about the things he actually does: the walk he insists on, the couch he is not allowed on, the mail carrier he has feelings about. For the pet lover it is the gift that says you understand the dog is a person.
Five ways this book could go
Use one as it is, or tell us your own. The story is written fresh either way.
Your dog finally catches the squirrel and has absolutely no idea what to do next.
The cat runs the household by night and files a full report on everyone's failings by morning.
A rescue dog tells the story of how he found his family, from the shelter to the good couch.
Your daughter and the family dog swap jobs for a day: she guards the yard, he does the homework.
An old dog's greatest hits, told as the legend he has always believed himself to be.
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
- Use a photo with the pet's face straight on and both ears visible; a shot from above hides everything.
- Tell us the pet's actual habits; the sock theft and the vacuum feud make the best pages.
- For a pet lover's gift, put them in the book as the sidekick who carries the treats.
- Cut paper and claymation give animals a lot of character; watercolor is gentle for an older pet.
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.
Pets book questions
Can a pet really be the main character?
Yes. Upload one clear photo of the dog or cat and we draw them from it as the hero of a story we write around their habits, in any of eight art styles. Faces, ears, markings and the one crooked tooth stay consistent from the cover to the last page. Rabbits, horses and very patient lizards are welcome too.
Is it a good gift for a pet lover?
It is the gift they did not know existed. Put the pet on the cover and the person in the story as the sidekick, made from a photo of each, and the book becomes a portrait of the two of them. Dog people, cat people and the friend whose whole camera roll is one rabbit all react the same way: loudly.
Can I put two pets and a person in one book?
Up to three people or pets can be characters, in any combination: two dogs and a kid, a cat and a couple, three dogs and nobody else. We draw each one from its own photo and keep them recognizable from page to page. Households with more pets than that usually order a book per animal, each with its own cover and its own villain.
Can it be a memorial for a pet that has died?
Yes, and those books are some of the most loved ones we make. Send the best photo you have, even an older one, as long as the face is clear, and tell us the stories: the beach, the stolen roast, the way he waited at the window. We write a warm story that keeps him at his best, and the dedication page is where you say goodbye.
