In short
- A birthday gift for kids can be an illustrated, personalised book in which the child is the hero of their own day.
- On Vivlary the topic Birthday asks how old the child is turning, and the cake in the book has that many candles, up to twelve.
- For every age group (0–2, 3–5, 6–9, 10 and over) there are topics that fit, from unicorns to the Odyssey and time travel.
- Brothers and sisters, grandparents, friends and the family pet can be in the book, and the first page carries your dedication.
A birthday gift for kids that stays after the party is an illustrated book starring the child. On Vivlary you upload photos, type the child's name and choose a topic, and a personalised book is made with the child and the people around them drawn on its pages. Before you pay, you see a free preview.
For birthdays there is a topic with its own name, Birthday: a day that starts with balloons, a cake and one more candle than last year. Below you will find birthday gift ideas for each age group, and you will see how the candles work.
What is a good birthday gift for kids?
At a child's birthday the presents are usually toys, and each has its place. A book adds something else: it keeps the day. As a birthday gift for kids, a personalised book waits on the shelf and is read again next year, when the cake has one more candle.
That is also the story of the topic Birthday, as our team wrote and checked it: the child wakes up to a room full of balloons, everyone whispers in the kitchen, the presents wait wrapped in starry paper and in the afternoon the cake arrives. The text of your personalised book is written from that frame for your own child, with the help of AI.
How do the candles work in a birthday gift for kids?
Birthday is the only children's topic where we ask how old the child is turning. Everywhere else the age group is enough. In a birthday book for a child we need the number for one reason: so that the cake has exactly that many candles.
Let's say Eleni is turning five: in her book the cake has five candles. The candles are counted up to twelve; for an older child the cake has many candles, not counted.
For a first birthday there is the baby's topic The first birthday: one candle on the cake and one year in twelve pictures. More about babies is in the newborn baby gift guide.
A birthday gift for kids, by age group
You choose the age group (0–2, 3–5, 6–9 or 10 and over) at the start. It decides which topics you see and how much text each page carries, while Birthday is there in every group. If you want a birthday gift for kids to carry a topic the child loves too, here are some birthday gift ideas for each group:
- 0–2: A day at the beach, At the zoo or Diggers and machines, with few words and big pictures.
- 3–5: Unicorns, Dinosaurs, Pirates or Princes and princesses.
- 6–9: In space, Treasure hunt, Wizard school or Homer's Odyssey, with the child beside Odysseus.
- 10 and over: Time travel, Secret mission, Camping or Gaming.
Who is in the book, and who gives the photos?
A personalised book does not have to hold only the child. Up to 6 people fit: brothers and sisters, grandparents, a friend, a godparent, even the pet, drawn from its photos. So grandparents who give a birthday gift for kids can be in the story themselves, beside their grandchild.
The first page of the book is the dedication: you pick one of our suggested lines or write your own words, perhaps a short message from everyone in the pages.
A child's photos are given by a parent or guardian, or by someone with their permission. If your birthday gift for kids comes from aunts, uncles or family friends, ask for the photos and for the parents' consent. The pictures are made with artificial intelligence from them and are artistic likenesses, not photographs; there is more on the photos page.
How is a birthday book made, and what does it cost?
You start straight from the topic Birthday. You type the child's name, choose the age group, say how old they are turning and choose the look of the birthday book for a child. The topic suggests the style 3D animation with the Candy palette, but every choice can be changed. The steps are explained in how to make a personalised book.
The digital book costs €12.40 and is read online, in your account; the printed hardcover costs €43.40 and includes the digital book. Prices include VAT. If you want the book printed and in your hands on the day of the party, allow time for printing and post; the delivery cost and time are shown before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give the child's exact age?
Only in the topic Birthday, so that the cake has that many candles. In every other children's book we ask only for the age group.
Can I choose another topic for a birthday?
Yes. You can choose any topic of the catalogue that suits the child's age group and write in the dedication that it is for their birthday. The question about age and candles belongs to the topic Birthday.
Which language is the book written in?
Greek or English. You choose the language of the book in the step for the look, separately from the language of the website.
Can I make it as a surprise?
Yes, as long as you have the photos and, if you are not the parent, the parents' consent. You see the free preview before you pay.