Your child is the hero — truly.
One single photo is all it takes — and your child becomes the hero of a lovingly crafted story full of heart. In the Alps, by the Ferris wheel, down at the harbour, recognisable on every page.
Two ways: personalise a ready-made story — or invent your very own. Both ready in minutes.
- One photo is enough
- Ready in just minutes
- Lovingly printed in the EU
- Recognisable on every page
- EU hosting (Frankfurt/Amsterdam)
- Photos auto-deleted after 30 days
- Premium print, EU-shipped
- 14-day right of withdrawal (Print)
- Klarna · SEPA
Curious how your child looks in the book? Try the 60-second sample.
One photo, a favourite theme, 60 seconds of anticipation. No account needed. The sample photo is deleted again after just 24 hours.
The Heldio magic
From one photo to your own watercolour story
Upload a single photo — and your child becomes the hand-painted hero of their book. Drag the slider to see it.
In the book
Your photo← Drag to reveal →
Personalised in minutes
Ready-made stories
Theme and art style are already set — just add your child's name, a photo and a dedication. Or invent your very own story from scratch with the last card.
The Knight & the Friendly Dragon
Personalised with your child’s name
Mountain Adventure in the Swiss Alps
Personalised with your child’s name
All Around the Whole World
Personalised with your child’s name
The Great Jungle Safari
Personalised with your child’s name
Unicorn & the Rainbow Valley
Personalised with your child’s name
Pirates & Treasure Island
Personalised with your child’s name
Deep Beneath the Waves
Personalised with your child’s name
Journey to the Stars
Personalised with your child’s name
Little Firefighter Heroes
Personalised with your child’s name
First Day at Magic School
Personalised with your child’s name
The Brave Little Royal
Personalised with your child’s name
The Big Stage Debut
Personalised with your child’s name
- Your idea
Invent your own story
Your idea, your hero — we write and illustrate it.
Describe your idea
How easy it is
Your very own book in four little steps.
No stress, no know-how needed — in a few cosy minutes your book is ready. Promise.
- 1
Choose a story
Pick a finished signature story, or start from one of 30+ worlds — from the Swiss Alps to the Berlin U-Bahn. Or just describe your own idea.
- 2
Add your child
Enter the name and gender — and write a personal dedication. That's all it takes. (Favourite hobby, pet and family saying flow into the wish book.)
- 3
Upload one photo
One lovely photo is enough. It becomes the reference for every illustration, so your child is recognisable on every page.
- 4
Look & smile
Within minutes you're holding the finished book — digitally, to enjoy. Want to re-spin a page? Of course. Then approve it.
SOFT LAUNCH
Be one of the first 100 families.
We're just getting started — 1 families already on board. The next families get personal attention from us on every page.
— Matthias, founder of Heldio · from Switzerland
1 / 100
Why Heldio
What makes Heldio so special.
There are plenty of personalised children's books. Here's what makes a Heldio book truly its own — six little promises to you and your child.
Looks like your child
Your real photo is the reference — the little hero genuinely looks like your child, lovingly drawn on every page.
See it before you pay
Read the whole story free and see your child fully illustrated on the first pages — you only pay once it has won you over.
Stories from home
Set in Tyrol, on the North Sea coast, in the Bernese Oberland — places that feel familiar and cosy to your family.
The same on every page
Consistent illustrations — your child is drawn from your photo and looks the same on every page; face, hair and smile are checked automatically.
As personal as you like
Name, gender, photo and a dedication of your own make the book yours. And in the wish book, your family saying, the pet and the siblings can even flow through the whole story.
Safe & sound
Photos live safely in the EU and are automatically deleted after 30 days. Promise.
The same on every page
The same child — from the first page to the last.
The biggest difference from the rest: your child looks the same on every single page — same hair, same face, same smile. Here in one of our stories:
Sample pages from a Heldio story. In your book the little hero is created from your own photo.
Real care
How a Heldio book is made.
No random generator: behind every book stand hand-curated stories, a real photo — and an automatic likeness check on every single page.
Curated signature stories
Every story is developed, edited and locked by us — with a real arc, read-aloud rhythm and loving details. Only once it truly works does it join the collection.
Your child, lovingly drawn in
From a single photo we create your child's portrait in the book's style — with the real hairstyle and the real smile. That portrait leads through every page.
Every page checked
Before you see your book, Heldio automatically compares every illustration against your child's portrait: same hairstyle, same face, same child — from the first page to the last. If a page is off, you regenerate it with one click, free.
Values
Choose what your child takes away for life
Every Heldio story carries one value — woven gently into the plot through your child's own choices, never preachy. You decide which one.
Courage
Growing bigger than your fears and daring something new.
Friendship
Being there for each other and sticking together.
Self-confidence
Believing in yourself and trusting your own strength.
Perseverance
Keeping going, even when it doesn't work the first time.
Kindness
Feeling with others and brightening someone's day.
Sharing
Being generous — joy grows when you share it.
Honesty
Telling the truth — even when it's hard.
Respect & tolerance
Honouring and valuing what makes others different.
Care for nature
Caring for nature and its creatures.
Love & belonging
Feeling deeply loved and that you belong.
Curiosity
Asking questions and discovering the world with wonder.
Big feelings
Understanding and gently handling big emotions.
12 values and 4 art styles — and every value reshapes the whole story.
Something for everyone
From a digital book to a bound hardcover.
Included in every package: a personal dedication. And in the wish book, siblings, grandparents and the pet can join — at no surcharge.
Digital
Instant PDF — to enjoy, to share, to print. Perfect for capturing that first wide-eyed reaction on video.
Hardcover
A premium hardcover to treasure — printed in the EU, with you in 5–7 days. Becomes the favourite bedtime book and, later, a family heirloom.
Our promise
Easy to love — and to trust
The things other personalized-book shops quietly skip — we put them front and centre.
See it before you pay
Browse real pages in a free preview — before you decide anything.
Satisfaction guarantee
Not enchanted? We'll reprint it at our cost — promised.
Built for DACH
Pay in € or CHF, Swiss spelling, ships across DE · AT · CH.
Your photos stay private
Processed in Europe, never used to train anything, deleted after 30 days.
Lovely occasions
For the moments you'll always remember.
Birthday
The child sees themselves as the hero — reactions like no other gift.
Christmas
A magical gift under the tree — with your child as the hero.
Baptism & godchild
A keepsake with a dedication — perfect for godparents.
First day of school
A story about the first school day — with your child's name.
New sibling
Siblings and the whole family can join the story — at no extra cost.
Grandparents
Grandparents love seeing their grandchild as the hero.
Your photos are in the best of hands.
Children's photos are precious — and that's exactly how we treat them. Every photo lives solely in the EU (Frankfurt or Amsterdam) and is automatically deleted 30 days after upload. Never shared with third parties, never used to train other models, never in any face-recognition database. And whenever you like, they're gone in a single click.
- Secure EU hosting (Frankfurt/Amsterdam)
- Automatically deleted after 30 days
- No sharing, no training on your photo
- Parental consent documented
Ready to make your child the hero?
Five cosy minutes to set everything up — and a few minutes later you're holding your book.