When I was young, my mom bought me a set of personalized books. At that time, the magical waiting period was “6-8 weeks.” When they arrived, I was thrilled to be included in a story, along with the names of my family members. The names were inserted with a slightly different typeface, so it was obvious where each personalization had occurred. (It was the written version of those recorded doctor-office appointment reminders: “This is a reminder that K-ah-Ri-E has an appointment with Doctor Ran-DOM.”) And the pictures of the characters were generic, so while there was a character named “Kari,” she didn’t really look like me. Still, it was a thrill to have a story about “me.”
ImagiTales provides personalized books where the child is actually integrated in the book with a real photograph. Since the story is typeset using the personalized information, the fonts and spacing are as though the book were created just for that child. I learned of ImagiTales through the Parent Bloggers Network. I had the opportunity to receive three paperback books free-for-review. Anyone can receive a free e-book, so I would recommend giving it a shot yourself!
I received “Nature Things,” starring the Cat, and “My Very Own Potty” and “Things that Go,” starring Spliggle. There are thirteen titles with varying subjects (Colors in Everyday Things, Becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, Growing Up, Going to the Doctor, and so forth.) Each title comes in both a “standard” version and a “beginner” version. The latter is written by a speech-language pathologist for kids who have speech delays or for beginning readers. I ended up with the “beginner” books, which is good since the Cat enjoys practicing reading.
Some of the titles include multiple characters, so siblings and/or parents’ faces are also included. Although, I checked out an example of “You Are Growing Up” to see an example of a “three-face” story, and felt the pictures of the now-big-boy character as a baby seemed a bit unnatural since it shows a toddler’s face on a baby’s body. The other examples I’ve seen are more realistic.
The ImagiTales website has a tutorial that explains the process of clipping the faces out of a suitable photograph for use in the book. It isn’t difficult, although to get the best result takes a steady hand and some patience. I was surprised at how accurate the result was. For example, when the characters wear hats, they sit properly in reference to the real photograph. The graphics I’ve included in this post are scans of our actual books.
The e-book is available for online viewing and PDF download immediately. Paperback books (heavy paper, saddle-stitched) arrive rapidly via postal mail. I wish they had hardback copies available, because although the paperback ones are sturdy, they are a bit thin. I’d love to have the option of having a “collection” of them all bound together in hardback.
When a customer purchases a paperback book, an e-book automatically becomes part of their online library. The URL can be shared with family and friends so that they can download and print their own versions of the book. If you choose, you can purchase only an e-book, although having the glossy paperback is nice! Your first e-book is free, so give it a try! (I bet they'd make a great gift, provided you have a suitable photograph of the intended recipient.)
Comments (1)
Those are adorable -- I love Splig on the tractor!
Posted by mayberry | August 8, 2007 11:12 AM
Posted on August 8, 2007 11:12