5 of the Most Popular Personalized Children’s Books
We read some of the most popular personalized children’s books out there, so you don’t have to! Here’s a list of 5 books that are perfect for giving your little one some extra confidence, teaching them to be kinder, and encouraging them to let their imagination run wild.
#1 The Little Girl/Boy Who Lost Her/His Name — Wonderbly
One of Wonderbly’s oldest titles, The Little Girl/Boy Who Lost Her/His Name begins with your child waking up and realizing their name (which was hanging on their bedroom door) is missing. The book takes your child on a magical adventure down a magic rainbow trail under their bed. Along the way, they meet and help different animals and mythical creatures that each gives him/her a letter in their name. You can even change out the characters for each letter from a couple of choices.
With beautiful illustrations, and wonderful values and concepts, The Little Girl/Boy Who Lost Her/His Name is an amazing book to help little ones learn their name, learn about other animals and even learn more about the world we live in.
Here’s an example of a great life lesson from the book — on how not to judge or stereotype people by their names or appearances:
“ ‘So…people think you’re bad,’ the girl said, ‘when you’re really kind?’
‘Right! But people hear my name, and just make up their mind.’ “
While this book makes a great keepsake, there’s not much depth to the actual story. While the characters and illustrations are wonderfully imaginative, the base plot of the book is fairly standard and unimaginative. That being said, The Little Girl/Boy Who Lost Her/His Name makes an extremely thoughtful gift, and there’s little doubt that it will be treasured for many years.
#2 You Can Change The World! — I See Me
You (or your kid) Can Change The World reinforces the idea that every action and choice we make affects the world — so why not make it positive? In heartwarming explanations, the book takes your child through all the ways they can make a difference in the world. From being kinder to taking care of the earth, your child will learn many different ways to make the world a more caring, loving, and kinder place to live (we could all do with a little more of that, to be honest!)
As beautiful as this book is, it is not very long, so you may want to consider that before choosing this particular title. You can also include a keepsake box, a gift bow, and even a photograph of your child inside the book. You Can Change The World ends with some wise words from Mahatma Gandhi -
“Be the change you wish to see in the world”
#3 Around The World — Shutterfly
Shutterfly’s Around The World transports your child from country to country across the world and showcases how people live and work in different countries. The book is a great way to teach kids about different countries and introduce your child to a multicultural reality. Kids are encouraged to love others, even if they are different. Here are a few great lines from the book:
“Although we may be very different,
In appearance, homeland, and name,
The love we feel in our hearts,
Is what makes us all the same.”
Although this book does a good job of opening up the complicated topics of race and ethnicity, the book only touches the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the intricate and beautiful nuances of culture. Without any further explanations, knowledge, or conversation with your child, the book could actually reinforce stereotypes — so tread carefully with this one!
#4 When You Grow Up — Hooray Heros
This book from Hooray Heros has two editions — a daddy and a mommy edition. The book can also be personalized to include ten different professions for your child, including an astronaut, a pilot, a doctor, a rockstar, a coder, a teacher, and many many more. This book is a heartfelt letter from a proud daddy or mommy that wants their child to grow up to be whatever they want to be.
With gorgeous illustrations, the book can be further personalized to have the mommy or daddy appear on every page of the book. These lines sum up the book well:
“I’ll pull out all the stops to see you achieve
Anything you set your mind to.
Just believe in your heart and let it guide you.”
The core idea from the book is to let your child know that you’re going to be there to cheer them on no matter what career or life path they end up choosing — and When You Grow Up does that exceptionally well!
#5 The Orangey-Tan — Manimal Tales
Yes. Yes. We are shamelessly plugging ourselves — but that’s only because we (and so many of our customers) think The Orangey-Tan is an amazing book that teaches kids about difficult topics like politics, elections, racism, and perhaps the most complicated, incomprehensible topic of all — Mr. Orangey-Tan himself.
The Orangey-Tan follows the story of how your child and other manimals (they speak!) set out on a mission to rid Manimal Land of the rightfully elected, but evil Orangey-Tan who is locking up manimals that are different than him and his rich friends. The book teaches kids to stand up for what’s right, and takes your child on an adventure that ends with them being the hero of the story!
While Sue (the author) has received a fair amount of backlash for writing a political book for kids, there has also been an overwhelmingly positive response from parents and grandparents about how we need to talk to our children about politics (Sue has a blog about this that you can read here). The truth remains that there are few, limited, and unimaginative ways that exist to help your child make sense of the increasingly divided and political world we find ourselves in. That’s where The Orangey-Tan excels! So if you’re looking for something to help your child find their voice against the injustices we see today, The Orangey-Tan is exactly the title you’re looking for.
Here are a few lines from The Orangey-Tan that we’ll leave you with:
“We should never take our freedoms for granted,
It’s easy for injustice to spread once planted.
It is the duty of all of us to say, ‘This is not OK’,
And we must all resist, each in our own way”
Originally published at https://manimaltales.com on November 23, 2020.
