A book with a child’s own face and name in it lands differently at every age. A one-year-old points at the pictures; a seven-year-old reads the name out loud and checks it’s spelled right. Here is what tends to work at each stage, and which kind of story to pick.
Age 1: a keepsake more than a reader
At one, books are for looking and pointing. Big, clear pictures of a familiar face hold attention best, and their own face is the most familiar of all. Sessions are short, a page or two at a time, and you do the reading.
A first-birthday book is really for the family: something to keep and read again later. The Day You Were Born is written for exactly this. Printed as a hardcover, it survives being carried around.
Ages 2 to 3: repetition and routines
Two- and three-year-olds love hearing the same story again and again, and they love books about their own day: bath, bed, brushing teeth, a new baby. Seeing themselves in the pictures helps them follow along and name what they see.
Bedtime and routine stories work well here: The Night the Stars Learned Your Name for winding down, or The Toothbrush Dragon for a nightly struggle. If a sibling is on the way, see our new-baby article.
Ages 4 to 5: big feelings and first adventures
Four- and five-year-olds can follow a real plot, and they like being brave in it. Stories about a first day of school, a storm cloud of a mood, or a monster under the bed let them rehearse feelings with themselves as the hero.
Good picks: First Day, Brave Day before school starts, The Grumbly Storm Cloud for big feelings, or The Monster Under the Bed for night-time worries.
Ages 6 to 8: adventure, and reading it themselves
Early readers enjoy reading their own name in print, and longer adventures keep them turning pages. Space, the sea, castles and treasure maps work well, as do stories about who they want to become.
Try Rocket to the Moon, The Lost Map of Pebble Island or When I Grow Up. Our books by age pages list every story that fits each age.
Make it a family book
At any age, adding a sibling, a grandparent or the family pet turns the book into a family keepsake. You can add up to two extra characters at no extra cost, drawn from their photos.
- For grandparents: Sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa’s
- For a parent far away: Loved From Far Away
- For a birthday at any age: Hooray, It’s Your Birthday!
