His name. His hero.
Every cover is drawn for one child.
Founder’s Run · 20% off your first book
Light of
Dino Island
Starring your child.
- Drawn as the hero,
never pasted in - You approve
their character - Finished pages
before you pay - 11 × 11 in
hardcover - Printed on demand,
shipped to you
Actual size, roughly.
Big enough to disappear into.
See it before you pay
See 6 finished pages of your book before you pay.
Their photo, deleted
We keep the hero, not the photo.
A person checks every book
Pages are reviewed before printing.
A person answers
lumi@lumistories.ca
we keep
What’s inside
Real pages from Elis’s book, exactly as printed
- Their hero, in every scene
- Toby, the friend they meet
- Their name, woven into the story
- Lines they get to say
What the research saysKids lean in when the story is about them.
More words
remembered from personalized pages1
More talk
and richer language while reading2
53%
of 8 to 11s feel more confident seeing characters like them3
1–2. Kucirkova, Messer & Sheehy, 2014. 3. National Literacy Trust, 2022. Small studies of personalized books in general, not of Lumi.
The Lumi Story Library · Ages 4 to 9
Light of Dino Island
Your child is the hero of this story.
Shipping from CA$4.99 per order
A glowing crystal opens the way to Dino Island, where your child follows prehistoric clues, finds a friend in Toby, and discovers what courage looks like.
- Drawn as the hero, in a character designed for this world, never a pasted-in faceDrawn as the hero, not a pasted-in face
- You approve their character before a single page is madeApprove their character before pages are made
- See 6 finished pages of your book before you pay
- 11 × 11 in matte hardcover, 30 illustrated pages11 × 11 in hardcover, 30 illustrated pages
Making one for each kid?Personalize one book, add it to your cart, then tap Create another book. Check out once.Finish one, tap Create another book, check out once.
Nothing to pay until you’ve seen their pages
The Preview Promise
See 6 finished pages of your book before you pay. Not the hero you pictured? Regenerate the character, or simply walk away and pay nothing.Regenerate, or walk away and pay nothing.
- Photo deleted after approval
- Ships to Canada & the US in 8–13 daysCanada & US in 8–13 days
- Printed on demand and shipped to your doorPrinted on demand
- Authored firstPlot, cast and art direction by people
- Preview before you payFinished pages, first
- Their photo, deletedRight after you approve
- Printed on demandShipped to your door
- A person answerslumi@lumistories.ca
How it works
From one photo to their own book.
Four steps. You approve two of them, and nothing is charged until you’ve seen their pages.
Step 1: Snap one photo
A clear, front-facing portrait. That’s all we need, and it’s deleted after you approve.
- You approve
Step 2: Meet their hero
In a few minutes. Love it, or regenerate it until it feels like them.
- You approve
Step 3: See finished pages
Real pages of your book, before you pay.
8–13 daysStep 4: Their book arrives
Their name and hero on the cover, shipped to your door anywhere in Canada or the US.
Photos are illustrative. App screens are from the Lumi app.
What the research says
Kids lean in when the story is about them.
It isn’t just a feeling. Researchers have measured what happens when children find themselves on the page.
Illustrative image- More
words - Preschoolers remembered more new words from the personalized parts of a story than from the generic parts.Preschoolers remembered more new words from the personalized parts of a story.1
- More
talk - Children talked more, and used richer language, while reading the personalized pages.Children talked more, with richer language, on the personalized pages.2
- More
smiles - Toddlers smiled and laughed more often during personalized story time.Toddlers smiled and laughed more during personalized story time.3
- 53%
- of 8 to 11 year olds say reading about characters like them makes them feel more confident about themselves.of 8 to 11 year olds feel more confident reading about characters like them.4
1. Kucirkova, Messer & Sheehy (2014), First Language 34(3). 2. Kucirkova, Messer & Sheehy (2014), Journal of Pragmatics 71. 3. Kucirkova, Messer & Whitelock (2013), Journal of Early Childhood Literacy. 4. National Literacy Trust (2022), Seeing yourself in what you read, 48,672 UK respondents. Studies 1 to 3 are small academic studies of personalized books in general, not of Lumi.
1. Kucirkova, Messer & Sheehy (2014), First Language. 2. Kucirkova, Messer & Sheehy (2014), Journal of Pragmatics. 3. Kucirkova, Messer & Whitelock (2013), Journal of Early Childhood Literacy. 4. National Literacy Trust (2022). Studies 1 to 3 are small studies of personalized books in general, not of Lumi.
Off the shelf
Made to be held up, hugged and pointed at.
A big, square hardcover that small hands can actually hold. Sturdy enough for the floor, the car and the fifth read of the day.
Illustrative images.
The world
An island no one has mapped.
It starts in a dusty attic. Every scene is art directed like a film set: light placed with intent, angles chosen for drama, a world with real depth. The screen-level thrill, on paper.It starts in a dusty attic. Every scene is art directed like a film set: light placed with intent, a world with real depth.
Toby needs their help.
Every Lumi story is built around a friendship.
Why a Lumi book
Not every personalized book is the same book.
| A typical name-in-template book | Another hour on a screen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your child in the story | Redrawn as the hero, in the world’s own art style | Their name, added to pre-drawn art | Someone else’s hero |
| The story | Authored plot, cast and art direction | Written to fit any name | Built to hold attention |
| Before you pay | Approve the character, see finished pages | Varies | Not applicable |
| What stays | An 11 × 11 in hardcover for the shelf | Often a softcover | Nothing to keep |
| Typical template book |
|---|---|
| Your child in the story | |
| Redrawn as the hero, in the world’s own art style | Their name, added to pre-drawn art |
| The story | |
| Authored plot, cast and art direction | Written to fit any name |
| Before you pay | |
| Approve the character, see finished pages | Varies |
| What stays | |
| An 11 × 11 in hardcover for the shelf | Often a softcover |
A note from the studio
“We’re a small studio in British Columbia. Every world is written and art directed before a single child is added, and a person looks at every book before it goes to print. If something isn’t right, write to us and a person will answer.”
“We’re a small studio in British Columbia. Every world is written and art directed before a single child is added, and a person looks at every book before it goes to print.”
Founder’s Run
20% off your first order.
We’re just getting started. Eligible first orders get 20% off, applied automatically at checkout.Applied automatically at checkout.
A person checks every book
Pages are reviewed before anything is printed.Pages are reviewed before anything is printed.
Their photo is deleted
The original portrait is removed once you approve the character.Removed once you approve the character.
Printed on demand
Made to order, then shipped across Canada and the US.Shipped across Canada and the US.
- Real people, real replieslumi@lumistories.ca
The craft
Built to survive a thousand re-reads.
A real, cased hardcover with their name on the front. Not a flimsy print-on-demand pamphlet.A real, cased hardcover with their name on the front.
- Size
- 11 × 11 in, square
- Cover
- Matte-laminated hardcover, personalizedMatte-laminated hardcover
- Inside
- 30 illustrated pages
- Art style
- Cinematic illustrated adventure
- Printing
- Printed on demand and shipped to your door
- Ships to
- Canada and the US, 8–13 days
Any last questions?
What parents ask before they start.What parents ask first.
Something else on your mind? Write to us. A person answers.
You see their character before anything is made. If it isn’t right, regenerate it or upload a different photo. You approve the character and see finished pages of your book before you pay, so you never pay for a book you haven’t seen.
Regenerate it or try another photo. You never pay for a book you haven’t seen.
One clear, front-facing portrait in good light, with their face unobstructed. JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 12 MB.
It is used only to create their character, and the original is deleted after you approve the character. We never use it for anything else.
Each book is made to order and printed on demand. Most orders arrive in 8 to 13 days across Canada and the US.
Yes. Each book is personalized for one child, so you make them one at a time: finish one, add it to your cart, tap Create another book, and check out once for all of them.
Light of Dino Island is written for ages 4 to 9, read aloud or read together.
Choose the world. We’ll help them step inside.
Start with one photo. Meet their hero in a few minutes. Pay only when you love the pages.
Personalize Dino IslandThe original photo is deleted after character approval.
The Lumi Story Library
The worlds change. The hero stays theirs.
Siblings? Check out all their books in one order.
Nothing to pay until you’ve seen their pages