What families say.

47% of families who make one book come back for another.

I’m Dao, a Plano mom. I write storybooks where the kid is the hero and read to preschoolers every week.

A finished PlotJoys book open on a bed at bedtime, a bunny tucked in beside it

“He keeps asking to 'read the Aeven book' — that's what he calls it now.”
Chris · Aeven's dad

The story is theirs, from very little

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

The story is theirs, from very little

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

Chloe & Chelsea · Sisters

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

Serena's mom · Mother

They see themselves

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

It gets read again and again

English has been really hard for her this year. Now she opens to the flower pages and says every word out loud, so proud of herself. We read it together on the couch almost every day.

Eva's mom · Mother of a 4-year-old

They see themselves

The character even looks like her, which made it feel so real. And now we have something that helps her process what she's learning… in a way that's fun and familiar.

Isla's Mom · Mother

See it for yourself.

Videos and photos families sent us after their book arrived, shared with their permission.

Story time, every week.

Story Heroes Club · in partnership with Plano Day School

A Story Heroes Club member in her cape, acting out her story on the classroom rug while classmates watch

A Story Heroes Club member in his cape at story time, the circle rug and book shelf behind him

They see themselves as heroes in the story, and act it out.

Plano Family YMCA · September 17, 2026

“The kids loved it so much. Even the two-year-olds recognized themselves and got so absorbed.”
Shadae Randolph · Preschool Director, Plano Family YMCA

She booked Rex back for November.

What happens when kids see themselves in a story?

Every face turned up at a dinosaur on the big screen.

Aubree’s family sent one photo. Her hero came up on screen. She stood right up.

Then they put the capes on.

Preschoolers in capes, seen from behind, watching the cover of Rex’s First Day at the Y on the classroom screen at the Plano Family YMCA

The same reel is on Instagram and Facebook, posted September 25, 2026. The book is here to read, cover to cover.

Nine kids. Nine heroes.

A family’s photo, and their child drawn as the Princess Doctor for Rex’s First Day at the Y — The Princess Doctor

A family’s photo, and their child drawn as the Spider Hero for Rex’s First Day at the Y — The Spider Hero

A family’s photo, and their child drawn as the Dinosaur Firefighter for Rex’s First Day at the Y — The Dinosaur Firefighter

A family’s photo, and their child drawn as the Feisty Princess for Rex’s First Day at the Y — The Feisty Princess

A family’s photo, and their child drawn as the Safari Guide for Rex’s First Day at the Y — The Safari Guide

A family’s photo, and their child drawn as the Dinosaur for Stomp, Who’s There — The Dinosaur

A family’s photo, and their child drawn as the Spider Hero for Stomp, Who’s There — The Spider Hero

A family’s photo, and their child drawn as the Princess for Stomp, Who’s There — The Princess

A family’s photo, and their child drawn as the Racecar Driver for Stomp, Who’s There — The Racecar Driver

Cafe Mama · August 2026

Story time mid-spell — a girl in a snow-queen cape raises her bear while Dao tells the story, printed pages in hand

One story-time morning — and the storybook it became. Like every Story Heroes book, it carries one quiet lesson: everyone has a superpower, and superpowers are for helping.

Cafe Mama posted about it themselves: their post about the morning and their post featuring Dao on Instagram.

The real teddy bear up close, and the same bear in the storybook — snow falling as the kids dance around him — Their stuffies go in the story
Top: the real bear. Bottom: the bear in the book. Same bear.

The real plush cat photographed, and the same cat in the storybook — flying over town holding a red balloon — Same cat.
The plush from the desk — over the rooftops with a red balloon.

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 — Same mermaid kitty.
Out of the toy bag, into the bubble bath — mid-spell.

A girl in her snow-queen cape raises her hand to cast the spell at story time, and the storybook page where the caped hero casts snow beside the bear — Someone they love directs it
The snow spell was her call — raised hand and all. No writing or art skills needed.

And then they asked for more.

At pickup today, before we were even out the door: “I want the story teacher again.” I said, you mean Ms. Dao? He said yes.
— A dad at pickup
The second she got home she had to tell me the whole story. She loves it so much. She’s over the moon. Thank you.
— A mum, the same evening
Do you run picture-book story classes on weekends? He loves it. I keep hoping there’s a weekend one.
— A mum asking for more
You could see the joy on their faces with you there. Story time was all fun and smiles.
— A story-time host
It was a joy having you at our Littles Lounge this morning. We loved our story time.
— The team at Littles Lounge

Start your child’s story →