Why the theme Feeling proud makes a good book
An adventure that suits the child
Pride is one of the loveliest feelings there is, yet children rarely hear that it is a good thing. Being proud of yourself does not mean showing off; it means feeling the worth of something you have worked hard for. A book about feeling proud lets your child relive the moment it finally clicked, and see it drawn spread by spread. It becomes a memory to leaf through, and a reminder that your child has managed hard things before and can do it again.
Moments to be proud of
The proud moment can be huge or everyday. The hero might swim their first length, bake a cake all by themselves, play a piano piece at a concert, teach a younger cousin to tie their shoelaces or do something kind that nobody asked for. The exciting part of the book is the road there: the practice, the misses, the evening it felt impossible and then the day it suddenly worked. Pride can also be about something nobody can see, like being the first to say sorry or daring to tell the truth.
What has your child achieved?
This book is at its best when it is built on something that really happened. Tell us what your child learned, roughly how it went and who was there. A goal in their first match, a swim without armbands, a whole book read on their own. Include details your child remembers, like which top they were wearing. If it was all about the bike, there is also Learning to ride a bike as a theme of its own.
For the youngest, the pride might be about a few steps of their own or feeding themselves, told in short, happy sentences. Three-, four- and five-year-olds like a clear story about practising and succeeding, ideally with cheering on the last page. Six-year-olds can be given more of the struggle and conversations with whoever is helping, and an older reader may appreciate that pride can also come from helping someone else get there.
Proud or boastful?
A good conversation after reading is about the difference between being proud and boasting. Pride is a warm feeling inside that you are welcome to share. Boasting is more about being better than someone else. Ask your child what they are proud of today, and tell them something you are proud of yourself. Write the things down on a note and stick it on the fridge.
Your child is the hero
You fill in the child's name, age and what they like, and upload a photo. The story about feeling proud of yourself is written for your very own child, and the thirteen pictures and the cover are drawn from the photo in the style you choose. Brothers and sisters, parents, grandparents or the pet can come along, up to five characters. If you would like to include something that has happened lately, a trip or a lost tooth, just write it and it is woven in.
From eBook to hardback book
The eBook is ready a few minutes after payment. Read it, change the text and ask for new pictures until you are happy. Then order it as an A4 hardback book, printed and sent to your door, or straight to the child as a gift. Do add the audiobook or the colouring pages. Start creating the book or read more about the prices. Would you like to see a finished book before you decide? Browse our example books.
How the story could begin
You have done this a hundred times, or at least thirty. Your hands are white with chalk, and there is a bruise on your knee from Tuesday. The rope hangs from the ceiling of the sports hall, and the knot at the top looks tiny, like a dot. Everyone else has sat down on the bench. You wrap your hands round the rope the way you have practised: one hand above the other, feet like a clamp. You pull. A bit. A bit more. Your arms are shaking, but your feet hold. Halfway up you look down, even though you had decided not to. The floor is a long way away. You look up again. Only a metre to go now. You stretch out your hand, and just as your fingers touch the knot you hear something from below, a sound you have never heard in the sports hall before.










