Not a name stuck on a generic character. Not a preset avatar with roughly the right hair colour. An actual illustrated likeness of your child, starring in a brand-new story, ready in about a minute.
“Personalised” gets used loosely in this category. Some services print your child's name into a fixed, pre-written story. Others let you pick a generic cartoon character and nudge its hair and skin tone toward your child's — the same handful of illustrations, reshuffled for every buyer.
TurtleTime works differently. Upload a photo (or several, from different angles) and we study it to build a stable description of your child's actual appearance — their hair, their smile, the things that make them them. Every illustration in the book, whether it's a classic storybook watercolour or a glossy 3D movie style, is generated from that same description, so the child on page 12 is recognisably the same child as the one on the cover.
Both routes produce a real, consistent character your child can star in again and again.
The most direct route to a true likeness. Add up to five reference photos from different angles for the most accurate result, pick an art style, and we'll redraw your child as that style's version of themselves — not somebody who merely resembles them.
Describe your child (or a favourite toy, pet, or entirely invented character) instead — their look, their personality, the things they love — and we'll design a lovable, consistent character from that description alone. Handy for privacy, or for characters who simply can't pose for a photo.
A taste of the story worlds families are building — pick a theme and age below, or start from scratch.
Create and preview any story for free. Pick a plan for full books — from one a week to one every night — and members save on every printed keepsake.
Try the magic tonight
A new book every week
The every-other-night ritual
A story every single night
Every plan includes a free preview, kid-safe moderation, and your data kept private. Cancel anytime.
Turn any story into a real, premium hardcover — printed and shipped worldwide by our partners. Pick the size that suits your little one. Plus & Family members save on every book.
Pocket-sized, made for little hands.
Size5.5 × 5.5 in
Metric14 × 14 cm
Members pay$23.20
Our most-loved bedtime size.
Size8 × 8 in
Metric20 × 20 cm
Members pay$31.20
Sweeping, storybook-tall pages.
Size8 × 11 in
Metric21 × 28 cm
Members pay$35.20
Cinematic spreads for big adventures.
Size11 × 8 in
Metric28 × 21 cm
Members pay$35.20
A coffee-table heirloom to treasure.
Size11 × 11 in
Metric28 × 28 cm
Members pay$39.20
Premium, sturdy, safe
Thick silk pages, hardback covers and child-safe inks — built to survive a thousand bedtimes.
It means your child is illustrated as themselves — a real likeness built from their photo — appearing consistently on every page, in whichever art style you choose. It isn't a generic character with their name typed in, and it isn't a preset avatar with roughly the right hair colour.
Yes. We study your reference photo (up to five angles for the best accuracy) to build a consistent description of your child's identity, then every illustration — cover, every page, every art style — is generated from that same description, so the likeness holds throughout the book.
No photo, no problem — describe your child's appearance and personality instead, and we'll design a matching illustrated character. It's a genuinely popular option for families who'd rather keep photos private, or for characters like a beloved soft toy that can't exactly pose for a picture.
No. Preview any story free, keep a single book for $7.99 — fully credited toward its hardcover — and order printed keepsakes without any subscription. A plan is there for families who want a new story every week or every night.
Yes. Every story is moderated, your photos are private and never used to train models, and you approve everything. No ads, ever.
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.