1st birthday gift
A 1st birthday gift: the story of the first year
A one-year-old won't remember the party, and has outgrown half of the presents by the next one. A book about their first year is read aloud now, and found again when they're old enough to ask what they were like.
An example scene, in the Coloured pencil style
Read the whole story for free
All 14 double pages, the hero and the cover are yours to see before you buy: you only pay if you love the story.
Photo optional
A short description is enough for a lovely hero. Whether you add a photo is up to you. GDPR-compliant.
Illustration styles to choose from
Many styles from the picture-book tradition, from watercolour to ligne claire, kept from the first page to the last.
What a 1st birthday book can be
In short: a first birthday 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, and 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.
At one, a child doesn't read the book, and that suits it well: it is for reading aloud, on a lap, with the same pages turned again and again. So the story doesn't need a plot with twists. It needs a hero with the baby's name, a few things that happen every day, and a sound or a repeated line that the baby comes to wait for.
A book about this particular year gives the gift its point. The first tooth, the first steps, the dog that follows the baby everywhere, the song a grandparent sings at bedtime: you describe what belongs to this child, and that's what goes in the story. Next to the stacking cups and the push-along toy, it's the one present that is only theirs.
Who it's from. Parents, who want to keep the first year in a form that isn't a photo album. Grandparents and godparents, who are asked what to give and would like it not to be the fourth set of clothes. Family and friends can be in the story too: up to 5 characters.
If you're looking for ready-made books for a one-year-old, our lists for older children start at books for 2 year olds. For how reading aloud works at this age, see reading aloud to children.
You read the whole story for free before you decide. The eBook is ready about half an hour after you buy, even on the morning of the party; 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.
The 1st birthday book at a glance, September 2026
- On the day itself
- The eBook, £4.50, as a PDF about half an hour after you buy.
- Hardcover
- £37.90 + £5.90 delivery to the United Kingdom, 21.6 × 28 cm, 14 double pages.
- Delivery time
- Up to 13 working days after you approve the finished book.
- Before you pay
- The whole story over all 14 double pages, the hero's portrait, the first scenes and the cover, for free.
- Age
- Language and sentence length adapt to four age groups, the first of them up to 2 years.
- Photo
- Optional. A short description of each character is enough.
Three story ideas
- A day in the baby's first year, told in short pages: waking up, the bath, the walk, the story at bedtime, with a repeated line on every page.
- A little animal friend who is there for each first: the first tooth, the first steps, the first word.
- The year as the seasons go by, with the baby and the family in each one.
See also Christening, Godparent gift, Letter from Santa. And to read on, all illustration styles and frequently asked questions.
Three steps to your book
No risk: you read the whole story before you pay anything.
- 1
Describe
30 seconds
Tell us about the main character in a few words: name, looks, what they love. No photo needed.
- 2
Read for free
6 to 8 minutes
We prepare the story, the hero and the cover, and you read everything for free before you decide.
- 3
Give
eBook £4.50
Love the story? After you buy, you confirm your characters, then we paint every page in about half an hour. You can order the hardcover at the same time or later, and the eBook price is fully credited.
Simple and clear
No subscription, no hidden costs, and the preview is always free.
eBook · on screen and as a PDF
£4.50
14 illustrated double pages, ready about half an hour after you buy.
Hardcover · printed in the EU or the US
£37.90+ £5.90 delivery to the United Kingdom
Quality printing in the EU, or in the US for US orders, and the price of your eBook is fully credited.
You read the whole story for free first, and only pay if you love it.
Good to know
Is a book a good 1st birthday gift?
It can be, if it is meant for reading aloud. A one-year-old enjoys the voice, the rhythm and the pictures, and the book stays useful for years afterwards.
Can the story be about the baby's first year?
Yes. You tell us what the first year was like, and the story is written around it. The language is simple and short at this age.
Do we need a photo of the baby?
No. A description is enough. You can add a photo if you like, but it is never required.
Will the book be ready for the birthday?
The eBook is ready about half an hour after you buy. The hardcover is printed once you approve the finished book and delivered to 214 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Canada; order it a few weeks ahead.
The first year, read for free first
Preview in 6 to 8 minutes. Free. Photo optional.
Create a 1st birthday book