A Christmas gift for a grandchild: personal, not plastic

What makes a gift from grandma and grandpa special

Under the tree there is usually enough already. The grandparents' gift stands out when it is different from the rest: not the loudest toy, but something that can only come from you. Five ideas that have proven themselves:

• A book in which the grandchild plays the lead, with a dedication from you.
• A photo book of last summer together.
• A voucher for a day with grandma and grandpa, written as a card.
• A cuddly toy that belongs to a story you read aloud.
• A savings amount the child only understands later, with a card it keeps now.

What a personalised children's book is, costs and from when it suits is in the guide.

For grandchildren of 1 to 2

A toddler is happy with the paper, the ribbon and your voice. Give something you look at together: a picture book with little text and calm pictures. At Amberro that is the bedtime book, where the child puts the farm animals to bed, or the birthday book if the birthday falls close to Christmas.

When ordering you choose the age, and the story is told in short sentences. At two the child does not yet recognise themselves for certain, but the parents do, and a year on the child says their own name while you read.

The eBook you read on the tablet or print yourself; that is allowed. How grandparents give the book is on a gift for your grandchild.

For grandchildren of 3 to 5

This is the age at which a book with the child's own face works most strongly. The child points at the figure, says "that's me" and wants the page once more. Choose the story by what the child is playing with right now: the little dragon, the fire brigade, the sea, the lantern walk.

For Christmas the lantern walk suits especially well: the child carries the lantern through the evening wood, a calm story for the dark weeks in which Christmas itself does not appear. So the book stays readable all year, and the occasion goes in the dedication.

How a photo becomes the figure is on children's book with photo; whole books you leaf through on the examples page.

For grandchildren of 6 to 8

A school child wants something it can show its friends, and it already reads the first pages alone. A book in which it plays the lead does both; outer space with the rocket and the star map is the most popular theme at this age.

Choose the child's age when ordering: for a seven-year-old the story is told more fully, with more text per page and a thought of the hero's own.

The eBook costs €7.99 incl. VAT. The printed hardcover (€37.98 incl. VAT plus €5.95 shipping) ships within Germany only; if the grandchild lives there, it is a gift that is still on the shelf in summer.

When you need to order

The eBook arrives by e-mail, usually the same evening. It rescues every late gift: you read it on Christmas Eve on the tablet, or print it and put it under the tree.

A hardcover to a German address is printed to order and arrives within 5 to 10 working days; before the holidays the printer and the post are busier than usual, so order by early December. Outside Germany we do not ship the printed book.

For the Christmas dedication there are examples in Book dedication for a child. How the book is made in three steps is on the home page.