From a photo to a book star.

One photo becomes a storybook character that actually looks like them — and stays them on every page. Kids, parents, grandparents, even the dog.

The kids

  • Nora — storybook character
    The photo Nora was made from

    The secret pincher

  • Liam — storybook character
    The photo Liam was made from

    The fisherman

  • The double buns — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    The double buns

  • Double pigtails — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    Double pigtails

  • The round glasses — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    The round glasses

  • Braids & beads — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    Braids & beads

  • The little explorer — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    The little explorer

  • Red curls & freckles — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    Red curls & freckles

  • Max — storybook character
    The photo Max was made from

    The birthday boy

  • Ethan — storybook character
    The photo Ethan was made from

    The adventurer

The grown-ups

  • Grandma — storybook character
    The photo Grandma was made from

    The head baker

  • Grandpa — storybook character
    The photo Grandpa was made from

    The co-star

  • The dad — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    The dad

  • The mom — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    The mom

Upload one photo. No account needed to look.

Stuffies and pets can star too.

Top: the real toy. Bottom: the same toy, mid-story in the book. The whole toy bag made it in.

The stuffies

The real plush cat photographed, and the same cat in the storybook — flying over town holding a red balloon
The real teddy bear photographed, and the same bear in the storybook — on the ice slide while the kids and the other stuffies play
The real mermaid-cat plush photographed, and the same plush in the storybook — leaping from a bubble bath as a boy casts a wand spell

The pets

  • The corgi — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    The corgi

  • The golden pup — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    The golden pup

  • The tabby kitten — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    The tabby kitten

  • The dachshund — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    The dachshund

  • The ragdoll — storybook character
    The photo this character was made from

    The ragdoll

A pet or stuffy in the cast is a special request — email their photo to pj@plotjoys.com and we’ll take it from there.

How it works.

  1. 1

    You send a photo

    One good photo of the person your story stars — child or grown-up.

  2. 2

    The studio draws them

    Story specialists set exactly how they look before a single page is illustrated.

  3. 3

    Same face, every page

    An art director keeps the character consistent from page 1 to page 12 — so it always looks like them.

What photo should I send?

One clear photo is enough: their face visible and well-lit, one person in the frame (a grandparent-and-child photo together also works), a real photo rather than a screenshot or drawing — JPEG, PNG, or WebP under 7 MB.

📸 For the best likeness:

A good example — a smiling child, face sharp and clearly visible
Face clear, close & well-lit
  • ✓ Fully clothed (no bath or swimsuit photos)
  • ✓ Others in the shot? Fine — you’ll crop to just your hero next.
  • Their face clear and well-lit — that’s what the illustrators draw from
  • One person in the frame (a book about two people? one photo each)
  • Grandparent-and-child photos together work — just give each person’s age
  • Screenshots, drawings, or heavy filters — it has to be a real photo
  • Tiny, blurry, or turned-away faces
  • Crowds — crop to your star first

Not sure? Send your best one — if it won’t work, we say so right away and you can try another. Nothing is charged for trying.

We check it right away. No account needed.

Your photos, protected.

What happens to the photo I upload?

It’s used for one thing: drawing your character, so the same face carries through every page. Photos stay inside the studio — they never appear anywhere public unless you choose to share your book.

What do you store about my child?

As little as the book needs. Birthdays, for example, are stored as month and year only — never the full date.

Where can I read the full policy?

The complete privacy policy covers storage, deletion, and your rights — it’s linked right here and from every page footer.

Full details: the PlotJoys privacy policy.