Are personalised books worth it? Personalised vs ordinary children’s books

Personalised books are worth it as gifts and keepsakes: children are drawn to stories about themselves, and a small study found preschoolers learned new words better from personalised pages. But they cost more and offer less choice, so ordinary books should fill most of the shelf. One or two good personalised books among many ordinary ones is the best balance.

How do personalised and ordinary books compare?

Ordinary books win on choice and price; personalised books win on engagement, uniqueness and keepsake value.

What does the research say about personalised books?

A small amount of research suggests personalisation boosts engagement and may help word learning, but the evidence is limited. In a study by Natalia Kucirkova and colleagues, 18 preschoolers learned new words better from the personalised parts of a book than from the rest, and in a related study three-year-olds talked more when sharing personalised books. A 2017 National Literacy Trust review found personalisation can support children’s engagement and confidence, while noting little research on longer-term family literacy outcomes. In short: worth it for delight and talk, but not a replacement for lots of varied reading.

Which is better for each occasion?

See our best Islamic children’s books by age for ordinary books we recommend.

Is a personalised book good value per read?

It can be, if it gets reread. A simple way to compare: divide the price by the number of times you expect it to be read. As an illustration, a £29 book read 50 times works out under 60p a read, while a £7.99 book read five times is about £1.60 a read. The point isn’t the exact sums; it’s that a book a child asks for again and again is good value whatever it costs, and one that sits on a shelf is not.

Why are personalised books more expensive?

Because each copy is made individually. An ordinary book spreads its costs over a print run of thousands; a personalised book is drawn, checked, printed, bound and posted for one child, so each step costs more per copy. Read how in how personalised books are made.

How can you tell if a personalised book is any good?

Ask whether you would buy it without the personalisation. If the story is thin, the novelty wears off fast.

• A real story with a beginning, middle and end, not just pages saying “[Name] likes…”.
• Illustrations you would be happy with even without the personalisation.
• A theme that grows with the child.
• Sample pages you can read, and a preview of your child’s version before paying.
• A person checks every page before printing.
• A clear privacy policy if you upload a photo.

Can a personalised book have real depth?

Yes, if the story was written to stand on its own. Hudhud, a UK personalised Islamic storybook, puts the child (with their name and a likeness drawn from one photo) on a night-time journey with a talking hoopoe through the stories of Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Muhammad, peace be upon them, drawing on the Qur’an and Tafsir Ibn Kathir. The themes, faith, patience, courage and trust in Allah, are ones children can grow into from about 2 to 9, and there are seven sample pages to read on the homepage. More in what is a personalised storybook?

How do you get the most from a personalised book?

Read it on the day it’s given, then put it into the regular bedtime rotation rather than on a high shelf. Ask your child to “read” it to you from the pictures. When they spot themselves, ask what they would say to the people they meet; in a Prophet story, that might be, “What would you have said to the people laughing at Nuh?” The personalisation gets them to the page; the conversation is where the learning happens.

The verdict

For everyday reading, an excellent ordinary book will do the job, and you can buy several for the price of one personalised book. For a gift that marks an occasion, a well-made personalised book is hard to beat. Most children benefit from both.