Photo story books · Available by invitation
The photo on your phone.
The hero in their book.
A familiar face makes an imagined world feel like theirs. Explore the photo workflow, then read a complete illustrated example.
From your camera roll to “that's me!”
Their little faces.
Their very own adventure.
See where the photos go, how you choose the stars, and what you read together at the end.
Edited demonstration · Fictional family
Photos are available to invited families. Making a book takes a few minutes.
Watch the actual app flow
The recording is shortened. Creating a new book takes a few minutes.
A little moment
A whole storyMade-up photos and children. An illustrative before-and-after using the public sample. Read the complete book →
The steps, in words
Add 2–4 clear face photos to each child's family profile. In “Make a new story,” choose “From our day,” tap “Choose photos from your day,” and select moments from your phone. Add a sentence if you like. Choose who's in it, a little lesson, and an illustration style. Review the summary and tap “Make it!” Once the book is ready, review it, turn the pages, and play the narration. Your phone's photo picker can look different from this recording.
Make something with the photos you already have.
Our six-picture recipe walks through choosing a little day, arranging the photos, and writing a few words for each page. You can make that version yourself, or use photos as references for an illustrated book in Once Upon Us when your invitation arrives.
Make a storybook from family photos →Two kinds of photos. Two lovely jobs.
Clear face photos on a child's family profile help the illustrator know who to draw. Photos from your day give the story its starting point: the aquarium, the beach, the enormous cardboard box.
A little direction from you.
Choose who's in the story, add what happened, and pick a lesson or an imagined setting. The app writes, illustrates and narrates a new book. A grown-up reviews it before reading together.
Photos are available to invited families. You can also start with a written description alone. How we handle family privacy →
The whole story · Read & listen
Pip, Wren and the Very Gentle Octopus
An aquarium adventure, an eight-armed friend, and a little practice with gentle hands.
The end. Their next adventure could star your family. Join free early access →
Free to explore. No sign-in. Fictional children; AI-made words, pictures and narration. Read together at your own pace.
Read the complete story as text
One sunny Saturday, Pip and Wren went to the aquarium. The doors were as big as a whale!
Blue fish, yellow fish, a fish with stripes! Wren pointed. Pip counted. One, two, three!
Can you find the stripy fish?
Then Olive the octopus floated up to the glass and waved hello. With all eight arms!
Can you wave like Olive?
At the touch pool, Wren wanted to grab the starfish. Pip showed her how. Gentle hands, soft as a bunny.
Show me gentle hands!
The starfish felt so happy, it wiggled one little toe. Wren giggled. Gentle hands make friends!
On the bus ride home, the sky turned pink, and two sleepy heads went nod, nod, nod.
Goodnight, Olive. Goodnight, starfish. Goodnight, gentle hands.
A different story for every kind of day
What does tonight need?
Something sleepy. Something brave. Or simply a little adventure together.
6 complete illustrated stories · Read and listen for free
No stories in this selection here yet. Browse the full collection.
Your family's next chapter
Now imagine a book starring your kids.
Describe a little moment or make up an adventure. Once Upon Us turns it into an illustrated, narrated picture book. Join free early access and we'll email you when your invitation is ready.
Optional face and day photos. Making a book takes a few minutes. No payment card. Current access and allowances
You're on the list.
We'll email when your spot opens. You can keep reading the free sample stories while you wait.