$14.99
- 12 illustrated double-page spreads + cover and dedication
- Interactive page-flipping in your browser + downloadable PDF
- Text edits and illustration regeneration included
- Available in 30 languages
- Usually ready within 15 minutes
A made-to-measure book
Emma means “whole” — so give her a story that is entirely her own
Four letters, two soft syllables and roots more than a thousand years deep. A personalised picture book where Emma is the hero, her name is on the cover and Emmy is what the other characters call her when it matters.
EMMAand the Promise on the Park Path
Here's how a book for Emma could look
Pick a theme, upload a photo, and your child becomes the hero of the story — with their name on the cover and inside.
The covers above are samples — the illustrations were created by artificial intelligence and the children in them aren't real. Your book is made from the photo you upload.
Why a book with Emma's name on the cover
Emma is a name children learn to recognise early. It is short, it repeats a letter in the middle, and the capital E at the front is one of the first shapes many kids spot on a page. That makes it a satisfying name to find on a cover: a five-year-old who cannot yet read a whole sentence can still point at the title and say “that's me”.
Inside the story the name works just as well. Emma is two syllables with the stress on the first, so it sits comfortably at the start of a line read aloud — “Emma looked up”, “Emma held her breath” — without tripping the reader. It ends on an open vowel, which gives a natural pause before the next word, and that is exactly the rhythm a bedtime story needs. Because it is spelled the same way in English, German, Dutch, Italian and the Scandinavian languages, it also reads naturally if the family chooses a different language for the book, for grandparents overseas for example.
The heroine in the illustrations is drawn from one photo you upload, so the Emma on the page has her own hair, her own face and her own grin — not a generic girl with a borrowed name. Add a sibling, a best friend or the family dog as extra characters, and the story becomes a small piece of her actual life.
Where the name Emma comes from
Emma began as a Germanic name. It is usually traced to the element ermen or irmin, meaning “whole” or “universal”, which appeared at the start of longer names in the early Middle Ages. Over time the short form stood on its own, and by around the year 1000 it was being worn by royalty.
The most famous early bearer is Emma of Normandy, who crossed the Channel and became Queen of England twice, married to two successive kings. She was one of the most powerful women of her century, and through her the name took root among the English nobility after the Norman Conquest.
In literature, Emma belongs to Jane Austen. Her 1815 novel “Emma” follows a clever, warm-hearted and occasionally meddling young woman who is sure she knows best — and learns, gradually and with good humour, that she does not always. Many parents who choose the name today mention that book, or one of its many film and television adaptations.
After a quieter stretch in the mid-twentieth century, Emma came back strongly from the 1970s onwards and has been one of the best-loved girls' names across the English-speaking world ever since. In the United States it was the single most common name for baby girls in several years of the 2000s and 2010s, and in New Zealand it has been a familiar choice in classrooms for decades, which is why so many Kiwi families know at least one Emma — sometimes two in the same class. Its staying power comes from a rare balance: classic enough to suit a grandmother, light enough to suit a toddler.
Emmy, Em and other ways to call her
- Emma — The full name — for the cover, the title page and for the moments in the story when someone needs her full attention.
- Emmy — The warm everyday version, used by family and close friends. In the book this is how the people who love her speak to her — a whisper at the start of an adventure, a cheer at the end.
- Emmie — The same sound with a different spelling, popular in handwritten cards and on lunchbox labels.
- Em — One quick syllable, the version shouted across a playground or a beach. Older siblings tend to prefer it.
- Ems — A playful, very Kiwi-sounding shortening that often turns up among friends and teammates.
- Emmabelle — A made-up pet name some families use for bedtime — longer and sing-song, for when one syllable is not affectionate enough.
How it works
How a book with your child's name comes to life.
Olivia
1
Create your hero and other characters
Upload one photo and it becomes a hero with your child's real likeness. Add up to 5 characters — siblings, friends, even a pet.
- A name, age and one photo
- Their real likeness in the illustrations
- Up to 5 characters: siblings, friends, a pet
2
Build the story and illustration style
Pick a ready-made plot from many worlds, or write your own. Choose the illustration style, the book's language and a dedication — you'll see a title suggestion and a story preview right away.
- Lots of worlds and plots — or write your own
- Choice of illustration style and language
- A personal dedication at the front
- Instant title suggestion and story preview
3
Get an e-book you can fine-tune
Ready within 15 minutes. Flip through the book online, fine-tune the texts, have any illustrations you pick regenerated, then view the e-book.
- Usually ready within 15 minutes
- Interactive page-flipping online
- Edit texts + regenerate illustrations
- Downloadable PDF + optional audiobook
And there's more
Get your book delivered to your door
Love it? Order a printed copy of your finished e-book anytime. We'll print it in full colour as an A4 hardcover and ship it right to your door.
A4 hardcoverOrder anytimeDelivered to your door
Print the book
E-book NZ$14.99 · printed NZ$69.99 + shipping
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Every book is made to order — you pay once, no subscription. Card payment via Stripe.
Audiobook
+ $5.99- Narrated by a professional voice
- Start it once you've finished editing the book — ready in a few minutes
- Listen right on the website, no downloads
- The printed book includes a QR code page for instant playback
- Add it at checkout or purchase it anytime later
Gift voucher
- Digital, printed, with an audiobook — or any combination
- Discounted bundles of 2, 3 or 5 books
- Valid for 3 years
- Delivered by email right after payment
All prices are final and include GST; shipping is added separately and you'll see it before you place your order. You only order the printed book once your digital book is finished — so you know exactly what you're printing.
Create a book today that they'll never forget.
Your digital book is usually ready within 15 minutes of ordering. The printed A4 hardcover ships straight to your door.
Create a bookReviews
Parents and kids who loved their book.
Over 1,700 books starring their very own hero
My daughters love the book! We read it every evening before bedtime. The story is so sweet and lovingly written, and the pictures are beautiful. My girls feel really special because their own name appears in the book. A great keepsake forever! Absolutely recommend. ❤️
We got the book as a birthday present and it turned out perfectly. The print quality pleasantly surprised me – hardcover, nice paper and illustrations printed in fine detail. The characters are drawn so well that my daughter recognized her sister, me, the giraffe and herself :) She really likes the story and now it’s her favourite book, we read it almost every evening. On top of that, it will remain a lovely keepsake that she’ll come back to even in a few years. I definitely recommend it.
The book was a gift… I’ll find out how happy it makes them… but it’s very beautiful
I have the books ready as a gift, so I’m already looking forward to handing them over
An absolutely stunning book made to order. It's not only a beautiful gift, but a keepsake for a lifetime. Our sons are thrilled. Not only did they find “themselves” in the book, but the whole story also takes place in their favourite place, which is the ice rink. The whole book is accompanied by wonderful pictures, and the dedication from us, the parents, is just the cherry on top. I warmly recommend it. Not only will all the “heroes of the book” be thrilled, but so will you, as soon as you see the book with your own eyes :)
Our daughter was absolutely thrilled, she looked through it several times in a row and declared that it's pretty, she hasn't had enough of it yet and we read it every day before bedtime.
The book is very beautiful, I would have welcomed more pages (for that price), the story is interesting, because my granddaughter loves animals and her cousins, but I have to wait until Christmas for her reaction
I got the book for a birthday and the princess wouldn’t put it down.
The book is very nice. The pictures look very nice, they're not blurry. The book really made us happy.
Very beautiful book, I always have trouble choosing in a bookshop, something bothers me about every one, or I can't find a theme I'd want.. here I can make up anything
A beautiful book that has its own unique magic! ❤️ The story is wonderfully done and the fact that your very own child becomes the main hero is absolutely amazing. My son was thrilled with the book and so was I. 🥰 A great idea, beautiful illustrations and a wonderful keepsake that we will happily come back to. I highly recommend it to all parents who want to make their children happy and give them the feeling that they are the heroes of their own story. ❤️📚
The book is wonderful! Exactly as I had dreamed it and designed it, a beautiful keepsake for my little son ♥️
🦉
FAQ
Questions parents ask.
Popular questions
Yes. Emma stays on the cover and in the title, and you can tell the story wizard that family and friends call her Emmy, so the familiar form appears in the dialogue where it sounds natural.