There are now hundreds of titles of personalized books on the market. The one thing common to all is that they use a child’s name as a character in the story. What is not common to all, however, is the quality and appropriateness of the story.
A personalized book without a good, positive story is just a gimmick. Some of the personalized books on the market today have stories that have been cobbled together by someone who has no idea about writing, much less a children’s book. In one story I once read, the child “hero” goes for a ride in a space ship and uses the weapons on-board to kill aliens. This kind of story may be o.k. for an older child, but it is definitely not appropriate for the target age of personalized books.
I firmly believe that a quality personalized book should be affirming. It should reflect the child “star” in a positive light. The child should be shown engaging in worthwhile things: sharing, helping, and generally being a good citizen; learning to appreciate what he or she has; learning to appreciate nature, etc.
Many of the products on the market have good stories that are appropriate for young readers. Some don’t. It pays to look closely at the story, not just the personalization, when buying a personalized children’s book.
