A Pixar-style child in safari gear standing on a giant open storybook with a dragon, dinosaurs and magical worlds floating above

A Personalised Storybook Starring Your Child

One quest, ten worlds, and your family illustrated into every scene. Printed and delivered anywhere in South Africa.

Child dressed as an astronaut holding the Story Star
Personalised storybook, one continuous quest

ONE CHILD, MANY HEROES

The Story Star has lost the most special story of all, and your child is the one who goes looking for it. In a single book, your little hero transforms into an astronaut, a mermaid, a pirate, a knight and an explorer.

Inside The Book

EVERY WORLD YOUR CHILD WILL VISIT

Every book follows one continuous quest across ten worlds, from a rainforest at first light to the surface of the Moon.

Two of the ten come as a pair. You choose Atlantis or the Pirate Ship, and the Winter Castle or Santa's Workshop, when you build the book, or you can have all twelve worlds. The story ends with your family together on a final spread, with your own message, a framed family portrait, and if you send us a photo, a place that actually means something to them.

A child in safari gear exploring a sunlit rainforest with a toucan and a tree frog
01

Rainforest

Explore the wild rainforest

A child shrunk small enough to walk through a village of glowing mushroom houses
02

Mushroom Village

Shrink smaller than a mushroom

A child in scuba gear swimming through a bright coral reef
03

Coral Reef

Dive down to the reef

A child with a mermaid tail in the sunken city of Atlantis
04

Atlantis

Grow a mermaid tail

A child crossing golden sand dunes towards a desert oasis
05

Desert

Cross the golden dunes

A child crowned in ice at the gates of a frozen winter castle
06

Winter Castle

Be crowned in ice

A child as a knight and a princess in a castle courtyard with a friendly dragon
07

Royal Castle

Befriend the castle dragon

A child walking beside dinosaurs in a prehistoric valley
08

Dino Valley

Walk with the dinosaurs

A child in a kingdom of castles built above the clouds
09

Cloud Kingdom

Live above the clouds

A child in a spacesuit standing on the surface of the Moon
10

The Moon

Walk on the Moon

Family illustrated as astronauts with their dog
The whole family, not just the child

FAMILY STICKS TOGETHER

Personalised storybooks are usually made for just one child. With Tale Time, your whole family steps into the adventure together.

Choose who travels with them. Mom, Dad, a brother or sister, Granny, Grandpa or the family pet. We illustrate each one from your photos, with their real features, and keep everyone consistent across all ten worlds. The hardcover holds your child plus three companions.

YOUR STORY, YOUR LANGUAGE

We offer every storybook in English, Afrikaans and isiZulu, so your child can be the hero of the story in their own language.

EnglishAfrikaansisiZulu
Personalised children's storybook cover in Afrikaans
Personalised children's storybook cover in English
English
Afrikaans

PERSONALISED STORYBOOK PRICING

Every format is the same 24 page story. The only difference is what you are holding at the end of it.

Every book includes

  • 24 personalised pages starring your child
  • Available in English, Afrikaans and isiZulu
  • Preview before we print
  • Money-back guarantee before we print
  • Illustrated and printed in South Africa

Digital (PDF)

R390R460
Save 15%
  • High-resolution PDF, read on any screen or print at home
  • Your child plus 1 companion character
  • A personalised final spread, in your words
  • Delivered straight to your inbox
Create the digital book

Softcover

R670R790
Save 15%
  • Bound 20cm x 20cm softcover on premium paper
  • Your child plus 2 companion characters
  • A personalised final spread, in your words
  • Free delivery
Create the softcover
Premium

Hardcover

R840R990
Save 15%
  • Premium 20cm x 20cm hardcover keepsake binding
  • Your child plus 3 companion characters, the whole family
  • A personalised final spread, in your words
  • Free delivery
Create the hardcover
See your book before we print it
Free delivery anywhere in South Africa
Money-back guarantee

PERSONALISED COLOURING BOOKS AND PUZZLES

Two more keepsakes to add to your order. Send us your own photos and each one becomes a colouring page, or put any photo you love on a jigsaw.

The same photo redrawn as a black and white colouring page
Family photo before it is turned into a colouring page
Your photo
Colouring page

Personalised Colouring-In Book

Send us your own photos, the family, the pets, a holiday, a birthday, and each one becomes a clean line-art page ready for crayons. Start with the free five-page PDF and see what you think.

  • 5 Page Digital PDFFREE
  • 15 Page Digital PDFR199
  • 20 Page Softcover BookR480
Create Colouring Book
Custom family jigsaw puzzle showing a storybook castle scene

Custom Family Jigsaw Puzzle

Any photo you send us, or a scene from your child's storybook, as a 35-piece jigsaw. Chunky pieces built for small hands, thick board that will not warp, and a matching gift box. You approve the artwork before we print.

  • 35 chunky high-gloss pieces (ages 3+)
  • Includes matching personalised gift box
  • Free digital artwork proof before printing
  • 35 Piece Puzzle in Gift BoxR380

A LITTLE STORY BEHIND TALE TIME STUDIO

Tale Time Studio started around our own kitchen table. A husband-and-wife team and one bubbly little girl who wanted to be the hero of every bedtime story. We couldn't find personalised children's books that felt premium, magical and proudly South African. So we built one ourselves.

Today we create custom-illustrated storybooks and colouring-in books for families across South Africa, in English, Afrikaans and isiZulu. Each book is made with love, printed with care and delivered to your door, ready to become a treasured keepsake your child will remember forever.

Every book is made to order, one at a time. We read what you tell us about your child, we place your family into the artwork by hand, and we send you the whole thing to look at before anything is printed. If the likeness is not right, we fix it. That is the part we care most about getting right.

Proudly South African

Created locally for families who want something meaningful, magical and close to home.

Secure photo handling

We use your photos only to make your book. They are never sold, never used in our marketing without your written permission, and deleted on request.

Preview before print

Review your personalised book and request changes before it is finalised.

Money-back guarantee

If you are not happy with your personalised book, we will make it right or give you your money back.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Illustrated storybook characters in a magical forest scene
Get Started

READY TO MAKE YOUR CHILD THE STAR?

CONTACT TALE TIME STUDIO

Have a question or a special request? We'd love to hear from you.