It’s unanimous: the kids adore ImagiTales.

In all fairness, we knew they would. Kids love to see their names and pictures in print; it’s a validation of their burgeoning identities. As one blogger described her daughter’s affinity for photographs and ImagiTales alike: “It doesn’t matter where the picture was taken, as long as she’s in it or someone she knows is in it, it’s worth looking at. So imagine her total delight when she received a book in which she is pictured as the main character. A book! With her picture! And her name! And a picture of her favorite parent! Let the giggles begin.”

A couple bloggers even recalled their own childhood personalized books. One reminisced that “there were no pictures of me in my books, but my name was mentioned throughout the book, and that was enough for me to designate this my favorite book. I still have the personalized books that my mother bought for me, and I’m 37 years old.” Another described them as “standardized stories with typed text, with child’s name filled in here and there, and perhaps a mention of your town and state somewhat awkwardly as well. Good literature, they were not. Smooth transitions, they were not. But they were ours, and we loved them, didn’t we?” With such fond memories of their own admittedly flawed books, it’s not surprising that our bloggers were excited to get an up-to-date version for their own children.

ImagiTales made both parents and kids giggle. The books are “printed on glossy paper and include lots of funky hand-drawn illustrations. Some of the illustrations are a bit quirky, but it adds a certain comical charm to it. After all, it’s going to be a bit funny anyway - we’re talking about heads Photoshopped onto cartoon bodies here - but the point is to make books and reading more enjoyable and engaging for little kids.” Another blogger agreed, noting that “the drawings are simple and cheery, with the body sized so that the face is emphasized, in a cartoonish but pleasing way. The stories are simple and appropriate for a two- or three-year old, as designed.” The first blogger reiterated the entertainment value: “I have to tell you that the cartoon body cracks me up. Especially paired with the fact that [my daughter] has such short hair. The Tiger Suit? I think it’s hilarious, and for sure this book will definitely be making the rounds in 13 years when [she] starts bringing boys over to the house.”

But none of them were laughing as they cropped photos - by far the most difficult part of the ordering process. “The pictures must be uploaded to the site and the parent/friend ordering must do some digital cropping to trim the photo down to the face itself. This consists of pointing and clicking 15-30 dots around the face; more is better, as in most digital image processing. It’s not hard, but it does take some time.” Another blogger admitted that “this activity frustrated me no end. I tried and tried with several different pictures of my two girls…Twice I finished the cut out and the site glitched, and I lost the work. Each time I lost the work, it made me want to close my browser and forget the project. I persevered though, and my girls are glad I did.” Sounds like an activity that might be more tolerable - if slightly less accurate - with a glass of wine at hand. But as one blogger summed it up, “the look on your child’s face when they see a story featuring themselves is worth it.”

While we may gripe about the photo editing and giggle at the cartoons, ImagiTales personalized children’s books are a far cry from the personalized books we enjoyed thirty years ago. And considering how much we loved our books, it’s no wonder our children love theirs. The final consensus: “The concept is a cool one, and obviously a success, judging from the fact that I ordered three books and my girls are sleeping with all three in their beds.”

Check out ImagiTales personalized children’s books yourself - the first eBook is free!