A personalised first day of school book for the big, brave step
A story where your child walks through the classroom door, nervous and excited at once, and finds their place inside. One to read before the big day, and keep after it.
School starts in late January or February in Australia and New Zealand, around June in much of India, and in August or September in the US and Canada.
See where the story is heading before you confirm.
Look inside
A real book, made for Aaron
Aaron was 4. These are pages from One Brave Kiss, in Bold Gouache.
Page 1 
Page 5 
Page 8
His backpack tugs. His tummy flips. Dad's big hand folds his fingertips. 'A brave kiss, Aaron. Keep it near. One brave kiss... right here, right here.'
Why this story
What it does for them
Starting school is two feelings at once, and children often don’t know they’re allowed both. This story says it plainly: excited and nervous can share the same backpack. Seeing themselves feel both, and go in anyway, gives a child words for the fluttering in their tummy.
The heart of the book is one small, brave moment: letting go of a hand at the gate, finding the hook for their bag, sitting down next to someone new. Courage isn’t feeling no fear. It’s walking in with it, and the walk feels possible because they’ve already done it on the page.
It also promises what a nervous child most needs to hear: home is still there at the end of the day. Read it in the weeks before, and the classroom feels a little familiar before they’ve even seen it. Read it years later, and it’s a photo album of the day they were brave.
By age
How the story changes with age
Ages 2 and under
For a first morning at daycare, nursery or preschool: a wave at the gate, a coat on a hook, a toy that comes too, and hello again at pick-up. Short, rhythmic lines with a refrain to say along.
Ages 3–5
For preschool or a first year of school: the bag that feels enormous, the new faces, and one friendly moment that makes the room feel smaller. Short and reassuring, with home waiting at the end.
Ages 6+
For starting big school or a new year: real nerves named honestly, a classroom with its own sounds and routines, and the quiet pride of doing something hard all by themselves.
Make it yours
The same moment, a hundred different stories
A few ways it could go. Yours starts with one sentence about your child.
- Finn’s first day at a school where everyone else already seems to know each other.
- Starting kindergarten with a new lunchbox and a plan to say hello to one person.
- Nia’s first day of school in a new country, and the first word she learns there.
- Walking to school for the very first time, holding a big cousin’s hand.
- The first day of preschool, told from the backpack’s point of view.
Not quite this moment?Write your own. A book for any moment, big or small, in a sentence.
Write your ownYours to choose
What you can personalise
Their photo
One clear photo. We draw your child as an illustrated character who looks like them on every page.
Up to 3 people they love
A parent, grandparent, sibling or friend, from a photo or a few words of description.
6 art styles
From glowing watercolour to bold gouache and handmade paper worlds.
A dedication
Your own message at the start of the book, such as “For your first day, and all the brave days after it.”
Read-aloud
Every paid book comes with a narrated version to play at bedtime.
See where the story is heading before you confirm.
Before you start
Questions parents ask
When should we read it?
A week or two before the first day works well, so the story is familiar by the morning itself. Read it again the night before, when nerves are loudest.
Can it include their real school, uniform or teacher?
Yes. Put the details in your sentence: a red jumper, the big gate, a teacher’s name. The story is written around what you tell us, and you don’t need a photo of the school.
My child is two and starting daycare. Does this idea fit?
Yes. For ages 1 and 2 the story is a short routine: a wave at the gate, a toy that comes too, and a hello again at pick-up. Name the place in your sentence, such as “Hugo’s first morning at daycare, with his toy rabbit.”
Can an older sibling or a best friend be in it?
Yes. Add up to 3 people: an older sibling who already goes there, a friend starting on the same day, or the grown-up doing drop-off.
Why a personalized school book rather than a regular one?
A regular book shows a child who’s a bit like them. This one shows them: their face, their name, their bag, getting through the day. Seeing themselves do it is what makes it reassuring.
Their moment, their story
Add a photo and check the idea. Before you confirm, you will see where the story is heading, and you can ask for up to three changes.
Start their first day bookDigital books from A$12.99, printed copies shipped to India, Australia, NZ, the US and Canada. See pricing