The only gift they'll ask you to read again.
Tell us about the kid you're shopping for. We'll write and illustrate a picture book where they're the hero — their name, their world, their adventure — and send you the finished book to read together.
Digital PDF · Upload two or three photos right after checkout · Delivered within 7 business days or your money back
Want to ask something first? Send us a message — a real person reads it.
Written for one kid
Not a name dropped into a template.
A person reads every page
An editor rewrites the story and approves the art before you see it.
24 pages, cover to cover
A full picture book, not a printout.
In your inbox in 7 business days
Or we refund you in full. No forms, no argument.
Most gifts are forgotten by January.
You know how this goes. The toy that was everything on the 25th is under the bed by New Year's. The sweater doesn't fit by spring. You spend the money anyway, because what else do you get them.
A book where they're the hero doesn't get outgrown. It gets asked for at bedtime. It gets read out loud to a younger sibling. It ends up in the box of things nobody throws away.
A real story — not a name swapped into a template.
Most personalized books print the same pages for every child and change the name on them. We start from nothing.
You tell us who they are: what they're obsessed with this year, what they're scared of, the thing they say that makes everyone laugh. We build the story around that. Two kids never get the same book, because no two kids give us the same answers.
- 24 pages, written for ages 3 to 8
- Their name, their age, and their likeness in the artwork
- A story built from details only you would know
- Delivered as a print-ready PDF you keep forever — no printed book is shipped
Here's one we made.
Flip through a real book, front to back. Drag the slider to see how a photo becomes a character.
Four steps. We'll tell you which one is the machine.
You buy the book — $9.99
Checkout takes a minute. You tell us their name and age right there, plus anything else you want in the story.
You upload two or three photos
The page right after checkout has an upload box — pick the photos and you're done. Any clear shot of their face works, and that's what we draw the character from. Prefer email? Send them to info@kater.jp instead.
AI drafts it. An editor writes it.
Our AI produces the first pass of the story and the illustrations in minutes. Then a human editor rewrites the words so they read well out loud, fixes the pacing, and throws out any art that came out wrong.
The book comes back to you
Within 7 business days, as a print-ready PDF in your inbox. Read it on a tablet or print it at home. If we can't make that, we refund you in full.
Yes, we use AI. Here's exactly where.
Some personalized-book companies advertise "no AI." We'd rather just tell you the truth: AI is the reason this costs $9.99. Without it, a custom-written, custom-illustrated book runs into the hundreds.
But AI on its own writes forgettable stories and draws hands wrong. So no book leaves here until a person has read it.
What the AI does
- First draft of the story
- First pass of the illustrations
- Page layout
What a person does
- Rewrites the story so it reads out loud well
- Checks every page against what you told us
- Fixes or regenerates art that came out wrong
- Approves the final book
What we never do
- Send you a book no human has read
- Keep your money if we miss the date
$9.99 for the book. That's the whole price.
The book — $9.99
24 pages, written and illustrated for them. Print-ready PDF, yours to keep and reprint as many times as you want.
Printed and bound — Japan only
We print hardcovers in Japan, but we don't ship them abroad yet, so there's no price to quote you here. The PDF prints well at any print shop in the meantime.
You pay when you order. We finish the book by hand and email it to you within 7 business days — and if we can't, we refund you in full. No forms.
Buy the digital book — $9.99What the price covers, and what this page doesn't tell you →
People make these for:
- Christmas and Hanukkah
- Birthdays
- A new big brother or big sister
- Grandparents who ran out of ideas years ago
- Adoption day
- A first day at a new school
- A kid who just moved away from their friends
- A baby shower, for the kid who's already there
- First birthdays
- Mother's Day
- Easter baskets
Questions people ask
- How do I buy it?
- Checkout takes a minute. You pay $9.99, tell us the kid's name and age on the payment page, then upload two or three photos of them on the page you land on straight after — no email needed. The finished book comes back to the address you paid with as a print-ready PDF within 7 business days.
- Do I get a printed book in the mail?
- No. What you get is a print-ready PDF by email — read it on a tablet, or print it at home or at a print shop as many times as you want. We print and bind hardcovers in Japan, but we don't ship printed books abroad yet.
- Is this actually AI?
- Yes — for the first draft of the words and the pictures. Then a human editor rewrites the story and approves every page before you ever see it. We broke down exactly who does what above.
- How long does it take?
- 7 business days from the day we have your photos. If we can't make it in that time, we refund you in full — you don't have to ask.
- Do you need a photo?
- Yes — two or three of them, so we can draw a character who looks like the kid. You upload them on the page right after checkout — it takes a couple of taps and there's nothing to write. Prefer email? Send them to info@kater.jp instead.
- Can I change something I don't like?
- Yes. Reply to the email with what's wrong and we'll redo it. If it still isn't a book you'd want to read to them, tell us and we'll refund you.
- What ages is this for?
- We write for 3 to 8. Younger kids get read to; older kids read it themselves.
- Will it get here in time for Christmas?
- The book arrives by email, so there's no shipping to miss. Order at least 7 business days ahead and you can read it on a tablet or print it at home on the day.
Tell us about them. We'll do the rest.
Buy the book, upload two or three photos on the next page, and it's back in your inbox within 7 business days — or we refund you in full.
Buy the digital book — $9.99Digital PDF · Upload two or three photos right after checkout · Delivered within 7 business days or your money back
Rather ask first?
Send us a message and a real person will answer. Nothing is charged from this form.