Tell us about them
A clear, well-lit photo of their face and a few details about who they are. Their nicknames, the things they love this month, the lesson or feeling you want the story to leave them with. About five minutes of your time.
How it worksFrom a photo
From a photo
to a hardcover book
starring your child.
Four small steps. About fifteen minutes of your time tonight. A keepsake hardcover at your door in a week or two.
From a photo to their door.
Two phases are yours. Two are on us.
We bring them to life
We draft a one-of-a-kind story for them and sketch the way they look on the page. The first thing you will see is a hero shot drawn from your photo. If it does not feel like them, sketch a fresh one. The character we lock in is the character on every page.
Preview every page
Once the book is ready, you see the whole thing before you pay. Regenerate any scene that does not feel right, as many times as it takes. You only pay once it feels like your child.
It arrives at your door
We print in Australia or New Zealand depending on your address, and ship tracked. Hardcover books arrive in seven to ten business days in Australia, ten to fourteen in New Zealand. The PDF lands the second you check out.
Three families, three stories.
Pick a child, flip through their book, imagine yours in their place.
Made for Sam, a three-year-old who loves T-rex. Her photo and a handful of details were all we needed.
Start
Unlike other children’s books, Almia never uses templates. Every story is written only for one child, so they are the true hero of a book no one else will ever have. Notice how Sam in the photo and Sam in every illustration are the same child. Your child’s book will work the same way, built around their quirks and the things they love right now.
Every Almia book has more than the story.
A dedication you write for your child, fun facts about their world, a letter from the main character, and a colouring page. Activities that keep the story going long after bedtime.
More than a story.
Every order arrives as a small parcel of three deliberate things.
Three things you can count on.
- Every word, written for them.
- No two Almia stories are the same. We write each one fresh for your child, built around the lesson or feeling you want it to leave them with. Every page is shaped to your family, not to a template another child is also reading.
- Built to outlast bedtime.
- Hardcover. 170gsm silk paper. Matte-laminated cover. The kind of book that survives small hands now and gets handed down to the next child later.
- The same care we give our own daughter.
- Every story we write, every photo we hold, and every book we print is held to the standards of quality, privacy, and security we apply to our own daughter's. Almia exists because we wanted this for her first, and that is still the bar.
The full list of partners that help us print, send, and store lives on the subprocessors page.
Questions parents still ask.
A few extra answers in case any doubt is still hanging around.
How long does it take to create the story?
Most stories are ready to preview within 10 to 15 minutes. You can stay on the page or close the tab and come back later. We email you as soon as the full book is ready to preview in your account.
Can I cancel my order?
No. Every Almia book is custom-made for one child and goes straight to the printer the moment you pay, so there is no cancellation window once an order is placed. That is why the preview and regenerate step matters. You can take as long as you need to create the story, regenerate any scene that does not feel right, and approve the final book before any payment is taken. If your printed book later arrives with a printing or shipping defect, tap the chat bubble in the corner with your order number and a photo.
What happens to my child's photo after the book is made?
Your child's photo is used only to create your book and stored securely. As parents ourselves, we built Almia to give our own daughter a safe way to see the things she loves inside her own story, and we treat every other family's photos the way we treat hers. We never sell or share photos, and every upload is covered by the Australian Privacy Principles and the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.
Do you ship outside Australia and New Zealand?
Printed hardcover Almia books currently ship to Australia and New Zealand only, with delivery included in the price. Digital PDF downloads are available worldwide for $14.95 AUD. International printed shipping is planned for future expansion.