For the big days

Their big day,kept for good.

JiaLin and her dad reading her first-tooth book together at bedtime

You’re the director.

The birthday, the first tooth, the big game: one sentence becomes their storybook.

Hardcover $59. Changed until you love it, or your money back.

See who’s already starring

The star of the day.

Your child is the hero on every page, drawn from their photo.

Max — storybook character
The photo Max was made from

The birthday boy

Nora — storybook character
The photo Nora was made from

The secret pincher

Liam — storybook character
The photo Liam was made from

The fisherman

Grandma — storybook character
The photo Grandma was made from

The head baker

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

Grandpa — storybook character
The photo Grandpa was made from

The co-star

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 dad — storybook character
The photo this character was made from

The dad

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

Ethan — storybook character
The photo Ethan was made from

The adventurer

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

The mom

Upload one photo. No account needed to look.

Big days that became books.

Each began as one sentence. Tap a cover and read the whole book.

Max's Super Bowl

See every birthday book →

Unlimited revisions, or your money back.

Loved on the big days

What Parents Are Saying

He was so excited and engaged — actively searching through every page, clearly thrilled that the little kid in the story was him!

Jasper's mom · Mother of a 5-year-old

She finished reading and immediately started creating her own story — she said she wants to go to a princess world!

Serena's mom · Mother

Since the printed copy arrived this afternoon, she's only read it five or six times.

Emma's mom · Mother of a 6-year-old

We even put their favorite stuffies — Piglet and Linabelle — in the story!

Chloe & Chelsea · Sisters

The illustrations are impressive, and the storyline was surprisingly rich given how little information I provided. My wife and I were very impressed.

Ayaz · Father

He was so excited and engaged — actively searching through every page, clearly thrilled that the little kid in the story was him!

Jasper's mom · Mother of a 5-year-old

She finished reading and immediately started creating her own story — she said she wants to go to a princess world!

Serena's mom · Mother

Since the printed copy arrived this afternoon, she's only read it five or six times.

Emma's mom · Mother of a 6-year-old

We even put their favorite stuffies — Piglet and Linabelle — in the story!

Chloe & Chelsea · Sisters

The illustrations are impressive, and the storyline was surprisingly rich given how little information I provided. My wife and I were very impressed.

Ayaz · Father

He was so excited and engaged — actively searching through every page, clearly thrilled that the little kid in the story was him!

Jasper's mom · Mother of a 5-year-old

She finished reading and immediately started creating her own story — she said she wants to go to a princess world!

Serena's mom · Mother

Since the printed copy arrived this afternoon, she's only read it five or six times.

Emma's mom · Mother of a 6-year-old

We even put their favorite stuffies — Piglet and Linabelle — in the story!

Chloe & Chelsea · Sisters

The illustrations are impressive, and the storyline was surprisingly rich given how little information I provided. My wife and I were very impressed.

Ayaz · Father

Dao, the founder of PlotJoys, kneeling in sunlit woodland holding both of her young daughter's hands

A note from the founder

Hi, I’m Dao

I started PlotJoys after I went looking for a picture book about the exact thing my own kid was going through, and couldn’t find it. So I made her one. Then I left my job and built this.

You’re about to trust me with a photo of your child, so —

  • Your photos make your book and nothing else.
  • Every page is written and drawn for your heroes — never a template.
  • If it isn’t right, I fix it — or you get your money back.
47%of my customers have come back to order another book.

— Dao, Founder

PhD in mathematics · former Director of Data Science at Uber and Capital One · LinkedIn

Read the whole story →

Questions, answered.

The digital book is ready in 1 business day — even a this-week birthday fits. The hardcover prints after you approve it and arrives in about two weeks, so for the printed one, start a little ahead.

One use: making your stories. Your photos become your characters and your illustrations — nothing else. And our founder holds every technology and third-party vendor inside the studio to the same rule: story-making only.

No — and that's the whole difference. There's no finished book on a shelf waiting for a name to be dropped in: nothing exists until you tell us your idea. What you can see first, free, is your star drawn as their character. The story itself is written for your family after you order — and then you change anything you like, with unlimited revisions or your money back.

Change it. A line, an illustration, the ending — unlimited revisions until you love it. If it's still not right, your money back.

Your digital book is ready within 1 business day. The hardcover takes 2-3 weeks, and here's why: we hold no inventory. There's no stack of books waiting for a name. Yours is printed after you approve it — about a week to make — and then 1-2 weeks to reach you.