We make these books, so read this with that in mind
Penwynn makes personalized picture books, which makes us an interested party. This guide is our view. It names no competitors, and it tells you when to buy something other than what we sell.
Three kinds of personalized book
In our view most personalized books fall into three kinds.
A fixed story with the name inserted. The words and pictures are the same for every child, apart from the name and sometimes a choice of hair and skin. These are usually well made, quick to order and cheaper, and two children get essentially the same book.
A character builder. You choose the child's features from a set of options, and the same figure appears through a fixed story. Some let you add family members and pets.
A story written for them. The story, and often the pictures, are generated from what you tell the company — sometimes from a photo of the child, sometimes from a description. This is the most personal kind, and the one where quality varies most, so it is where the questions below matter.
Questions to ask before you pay
These are our practical suggestions.
Can I read the whole book before I pay? A preview of the cover is not a preview of the book.
Does it need a photo of my child — and if so, where is it stored, for how long, and is it used to train anything?
How much actually changes between two children? Ask to see two finished examples.
Is the reading age something I choose, or is every book written for the same age?
Can the other people in my child's life be in it, and do they stay recognizable from page to page?
Can I change a page I do not like, and does that cost anything?
Is it a sewn hardcover, a glued one or a softcover — and what happens if it arrives damaged?
Who checks the pictures before they are printed: a person, an automatic check, or nobody?
When an ordinary book is the better buy
In our view, often. A child who already loves books will get more from a pile of library books than from one expensive one. A baby who chews everything needs a board book. And a well-loved classic is a better first shelf than any personalized title.
A personalized book earns its price for a particular moment — a new sibling, a first day at school, a grandparent far away, a child who will not sit for other stories — or as a keepsake, a record of who they were at that age.
How Penwynn answers those questions
Penwynn makes the third kind, from a description and never from a photo. You approve the characters, read the whole story before anything is illustrated, and see every illustrated page before paying; any page can be redrawn. You choose the reading age. Everyone in the book recurs throughout. It is a hardcover with a glued binding, and a damaged or misprinted copy is reprinted free.