Make someone you love the hero of their own story.
Tell us about them: their world, their little quirks, even their cat. We turn it into a one-of-a-kind illustrated storybook, then print it as a keepsake.
We send you the digital draft first. Free revisions until it's right. We print only when you say go.
HeroPhoto
Watch your world become the book
These are real photos. Drag across each one and watch it redrawn in your book's style, right down to the cat.
BookPhotoDrag to redraw
PilotPhotoDrag to suit up
CharacterPhotoDrag to wake it upHeroPhotoDrag to draw them inNot a name dropped into a template.
Every book is an original story about a specific person: their life, their humour, the things only they would recognise.
Gifts that actually land.
I was sceptical about a personalised book — most of them feel like a gimmick. This one didn't. Kevin asked the right questions, drafted the story in three days, and the printed hardcover came in a linen sleeve. My partner read it twice in a row, then put it on the nightstand. Best HK$498 I've ever spent on a gift.
Ordered the Gift Edition for my parents' 40th anniversary. I gave a one-paragraph brief and a Dropbox of old photos. What came back felt like someone had actually listened — their dog was in it, the village in Provence was in it, even the in-joke about my dad's espresso machine. My mum cried. So did I, honestly.
I almost cancelled when I saw the price, but the team showed me the digital draft first and let me tweak two scenes. Zero pressure. The hardcover arrived in a week, gift-wrapped. My daughter calls it 'her book' and won't let visitors leave without reading it to her.
Tell us. Approve every page. We print.
Tell us about them
Chat with our assistant about the person: their personality, who's in their life, the occasion, the inside jokes. Drop in a few photos — of them, their home, a favourite toy.
Meet the cast
Within 1-2 days we draw the locked character portraits — your hero and everyone in their world — and email them to you. First proof we're making YOUR book, not a template.
PDF preview + free revisions
You'll receive a digital PDF of the FULL book before it goes to print. Want a different outfit, scene, ending? Just reply and Kevin will fix it personally. Nothing prints until you say go.
We print + ship the keepsake
Once you approve, we print the hardcover at our Guangzhou partner and ship it to you. Usually in your hands within 10 days of order.
Who's it for? What's it about?
Pick your keepsake.
Softcover Storybook
- 16-page personalised softcover
- Their story, fully illustrated
- English, 中文 or bilingual
- Free delivery in Hong Kong & Macau
Hardcover Storybook
- 16-page personalised hardcover
- Premium paper, smyth-sewn binding
- Their story, fully illustrated
- English, 中文 or bilingual
- Free delivery in Hong Kong & Macau
The Gift Edition
- Everything in the Hardcover, plus:
- Linen-wrapped cover, gold foil title
- Hand-tied gift wrap & ribbon
- Handwritten dedication card
- Numbered edition keepsake
Questions, answered.
How personalised is it, really?
Completely. It's an original story written around one specific person: their life, their humour, the people and pets around them. Not a stock book with a name swapped in. The example books above were each built from scratch for one person.
What if I want to change something in the digital draft?
Say the word and we'll revise. Swap a scene, fix a name, redraw an outfit, change the tone of a page. Revisions on the digital draft are free, and we don't print anything until you give the green light.
How long until I get the printed book?
Digital draft within 3–5 days of your brief. Once you approve it, hardcovers ship within 7 days. Delivery is next-day in Hong Kong and Macau. Realistic worst case from order to doorstep: about two weeks.
What if there's a typo or a wrong detail?
Free reprint. Tell us within 14 days of delivery and we'll fix the file and ship a replacement at no cost. We'd rather you have a book that's right.
Do you reuse my photos for marketing?
No. Photos you send us are only used to illustrate your book. They're deleted from our systems within 30 days of order completion, and we never post them publicly without asking you first.
Is my child's photo used to train AI?
No. We use the photos only as reference for the illustrator working on your specific book. They are not fed into any model training pipeline, ours or anyone else's.
Can I order extra copies for grandparents at a discount?
Yes — 50% off the softcover when added to a hardcover or Gift Edition order. Same story, same illustrations, just a softcover binding so the grandparents have their own copy. (TODO: founder to confirm final discount.)
What languages can the book be in?
English, Cantonese (Traditional Chinese) and French. We can also do bilingual layouts — English on one page, 中文 on the facing page. Tell us which combo you'd like.
Can I review the story before it's printed?
Yes. You'll see the full digital book first, scene by scene, with room to request changes. Nothing goes to print until you give the green light.
Where do you ship?
Hong Kong and Macau only, for now. Free delivery on every order, next-day in most areas.
Who's behind Once Upon You?
A small Hong Kong studio. Every book is briefed, written, illustrated and quality-checked by a human — not a chatbot funnel. If you want to talk to the person who'll actually make your book, email kevin.larretche@gmail.com.
Their story is waiting to be written.
Start with a quick chat about the person you have in mind. We'll take it from there.
Create your book, HK$498