A christening gift that will still be read in ten years' time

In short: a christening book at Sagalino is written from your description, with the baby as the hero, over 14 double pages in a style you choose. No photo is needed. You read the whole story for free before you pay. The eBook (£4.50) is ready about half an hour after you buy; the hardcover is £37.90 plus £5.90 delivery to the United Kingdom, up to 13 working days after you approve the finished book.

Most christening gifts are made to be kept: a silver spoon, a frame, a blanket. A book belongs with them, with one difference: it gets used. It's read to the baby in the first years and becomes the book in which the child recognises their own name for the first time.

If you're a godparent, the gift often carries a little more weight. In Ireland, a Catholic baptism needs at least one godparent who is a confirmed, practising Catholic aged 16 or over, and the parents' brothers and sisters are a traditional choice, with friends chosen more and more often.² In the Church of Ireland, at least two sponsors are members of the Church of Ireland or of a church in communion with it.¹ In the Catholic Church in the United States, a godparent must be at least 16 and fully initiated, and a baptised Christian from another church can stand alongside as a Christian witness.³ Our page on godparent gifts goes into more detail.

Christening, or baptism, as it's more often called in the United States: many churches baptise babies, often in the first weeks, including Catholic, Episcopal, Reformed and Lutheran churches, while Baptist churches baptise only on a profession of faith.⁴

Religious or not, it's your choice. The story follows your idea: it can speak of faith, of the church and the day itself, or be a family adventure in which the baby is surrounded by everyone who came. Up to 5 characters can appear in the same story: parents, godparents, a big brother or sister.

In practice, you read the whole story for free before you decide. The eBook is ready about half an hour after you buy; the hardcover, 21.6 × 28 cm, is printed as soon as you approve the finished book. The hardcover is delivered to 214 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Canada; in Europe and North America it arrives in up to 13 working days after you approve the finished book. For the christening day, allow some time.

Three story ideas

• The day of the christening, told from the baby's point of view: the church, the water, all the faces leaning in.
• A godparent and the child, years from now, on an adventure that starts with a promise made on the christening day.
• A story about the child's name: where it comes from, who chose it and what it means.

Still looking for what to write in the card? 36 messages for a christening, sorted by occasion and tone, free to use.

See also Godparent gift, Letter from Santa, Mothering Sunday. And to read on, all illustration styles and frequently asked questions.

1. 1.Church of Ireland: Baptism and confirmation.What it confirms: In the Church of Ireland, at least two sponsors who are members of the Church of Ireland or of a church in communion with it.
2. 2.Freckles: The beautiful tradition of christening in Ireland.What it confirms: For a Catholic baptism, at least one godparent who is a confirmed, practising Catholic aged 16 or over; the parents' siblings are a traditional choice, and friends increasingly too.
3. 3.U.S. Catholic: Who can be a godparent?What it confirms: A Catholic godparent must be at least 16 and fully initiated (baptism, first communion, confirmation); a baptised non-Catholic Christian can act as a Christian witness.
4. 4.Trinity Church Wall Street: Infant baptism.What it confirms: Infant baptism, often in the first days or weeks; Episcopal, Reformed and Lutheran churches baptise infants, Baptist churches baptise on a profession of faith.