Every TurtleTime story starts life on screen, but it doesn't have to stay there. Once you're happy with a story, the exact same file can be ordered as a real printed book — the same words, the same illustrations, just on paper instead of a screen.
Here's exactly how the printing side works: formats, sizes and what actually arrives at your door.
Choose a softcover copy for a lighter-touch keepsake, or a hardcover for a proper, durable book built to survive years of re-reading.
Both are printed on the same quality silk paper stock, with the same illustrations and layout — the choice is really about finish and durability, not content.
From a pocket-sized square book made for little hands, up to a coffee-table-scale square heirloom edition, plus portrait and landscape formats for a more sweeping, storybook feel.
The book's shape (chosen when the story is created) determines which print sizes are available, since illustrations are laid out for a specific aspect ratio from the start.
Orders are produced and shipped by our print partners, with production facilities around the world — not limited to a single country's postal system.
Because the digital and print versions come from the same file, there's no separate design step and no risk of the printed book looking different from what you previewed.
No blank page, no writing or drawing skill needed — just a photo or a description, and a few simple choices.
Upload a photo for a true likeness, or describe your child, a toy or an invented character in words instead.
Choose a theme or type your own idea, set the reading age and writing style, and pick from eleven art styles.
A fully illustrated story appears in about a minute — read it, hear it read aloud, or print it as a keepsake.
The things a free chatbot won't do — the narration, the trust, and the keepsake.
The same lovable hero on every page, built from a single photo.
Soothing AI narration reads every story aloud, so they can listen and follow along on the iPad.
From 'read to me' to 'I can read', tuned to their age and ability.
Premium hardcovers and a growing library you'll keep for years.
Every story is moderated automatically and you see it before your child does. No ads, ever.
A point-and-click flow — magic without the wait or the work.
Free to preview — pick their look, their name, and watch it come to life in about a minute.
Hardcover Storybooks
TurtleTime hardcovers are a genuine premium keepsake — durable covers, quality silk paper, sizes from pocket-sized to coffee-table scale.
Storybook Keepsakes
Why a TurtleTime story is worth keeping, not just reading once — a personal record of a specific age, obsession and imagination, on screen or in print.
Personalised Story Books
More than a single gift — TurtleTime personalised story books become a growing library, each one starring your child, each one different. See how it works.
Birthday Storybooks
Skip another toy. A TurtleTime birthday storybook stars the birthday child by name and age, previewed free before you pay a penny.
Personalised Audio Stories
Every TurtleTime storybook can be listened to, not just read — a warm, soothing narration of your child's own personalised story, hands-free.
Child as Main Character
The mechanics of how TurtleTime casts your child as the genuine protagonist — not a name insert, not a cameo. How it's built, step by step.
Photo-Personalised Storybooks
A quick, factual look at TurtleTime's photo personalisation feature: what it needs, what it produces, and what it does with your photo afterwards.
Read-Aloud Storybooks
TurtleTime's read-aloud feature lets a child follow the words on screen while listening — a genuine support for building reading confidence, not just entertainment.
Both use the same paper stock, illustrations and layout — hardcover adds a rigid, durable cover built to last years of handling, while softcover is a lighter, more affordable finish.
Five sizes, from a small square book sized for little hands up to a large square coffee-table edition, plus portrait and landscape formats — see /pricing for exact dimensions.
Yes — printing and shipping is handled by our print partners' worldwide production network, not limited to one country.
Yes — the printed book is produced from the same file as the digital story you previewed, so the illustrations, text and layout match what you already saw.
We built TurtleTimefor our own children first. Safety isn't a setting here — it's the whole point.
Create your child's first story free — in about a minute.
