Storybook8 pages
Zara and the Snowman's Christmas
Starring Zara, 5
Barnaby the snowman wants to see Christmas, but he will melt inside the house! Can Zara bring the holiday cheer out to the snow?
Personalized Christmas storybooks
A Christmas book starring your child.
A Christmas picture book starring your child, drawn from one photo: save Santa's lost list or fly with the littlest reindeer. Ready in minutes.
Ages 2 to 9 · Free to try · Photos never stored · Ready in about 5 minutes
What's in the book
Most personalized Christmas books paste a name into the same story every other child gets. Panelo draws your child from a photo, so the face on every page is really theirs: the gap tooth, the curls, the glasses. Then it writes the story around them, using the details you give it: the toy they'll sleep with on Christmas Eve, the cousin they can't wait to see, the cookie they always break in half.
There are six Christmas stories to start from, from a cosy family Christmas Eve to a rescue mission across town when Santa's list blows out of the sleigh. Brothers, sisters, grandparents and the dog can all be in it, each drawn from their own photo.
Because the book is ready in about five minutes, there's no print queue and no shipping cut-off. Read it on Christmas Eve, send the link to Grandma, or print the PDF at home.
6 stories to start from
The snowman who wanted Christmas
The snowman the hero builds wakes up and wants more than anything to see Christmas, but it's warm and twinkly inside and he would melt.
Make this one
The night Santa lost his list
On Christmas Eve a gust of wind steals Santa's list out of the sleigh and scatters the pages over the hero's town.
Make this one
Elf for one night
A tiny bell on the tree rings and the hero shrinks to elf size inside the North Pole toy workshop, the night before Christmas, just as the giant toy machine jams.
Make this one
Pip, the littlest reindeer
Pip is the smallest reindeer at the North Pole and has never been picked to fly.
Make this one
The gift money can't buy
The hero wants to give the person they love most the perfect Christmas present but has no money, so they spend the days before Christmas secretly making one by hand.
Make this one
A real book, not a mock-up
Zara and the Snowman's Christmas
Zara, 5, brings Christmas outside to the snowman who can't come in, with her almost-whistle and far too many marshmallows.
Made by Panelo from one photo, in the Storybook style. Open it to turn the pages and hear it read aloud.
Why a Christmas book works so well as a gift
It becomes a tradition
Make a new one each December and the books turn into a record of how they grew: the year they lost a tooth, the year the baby arrived.
Everyone can be in it
Up to four heroes per book, pets included, so siblings don't have to share the spotlight.
It arrives on time
No shipping. Even on the evening of the 24th, it's ready before bedtime.
Make it theirs
The more you tell Panelo, the more the story sounds like your family. Good things to mention:
- What they've asked Santa for
- Who they'll spend Christmas with
- A family tradition (matching pyjamas, a midnight snack for the reindeer)
- Something they're proud of this year
How it works
- 1
Add a photo
One clear photo of your child (and anyone else in the story). Panelo draws them as a storybook character, then the photo is discarded.
- 2
Pick the story and style
Start from The snowman who wanted Christmas or any of the 42+ stories, in one of 10 art styles.
- 3
Read, print or share
The cover and first two pages are free. Unlock the whole book to download the PDF and share a flip-book link.
Choose the art style
3D MovieLike a big animated film
StorybookSoft paint & pencil
Classic AnimationHand-drawn movie magic
CartoonBold & bright TV cartoon
Vintage StorybookInk & watercolor classic
Retro Golden1950s picture book
Paper CollagePainted tissue paper
Anime DreamSoft painted anime film
Clay 3DCozy stop-motion
Indian MiniatureJewel-toned Pichwai painting
Questions parents ask
Is there still time to get it before Christmas?
Yes. The book is digital first and ready in about five minutes, so you can make it on Christmas Eve. If you want a printed copy, print the PDF at home or at a local print shop.
Can siblings be in the same Christmas book?
Yes. Add up to four heroes, each from their own photo, including grandparents and pets. They all appear consistently on every page.
Which Christmas stories can I choose?
Together on Christmas Eve, The night Santa lost his list, Elf for one night, Pip the littlest reindeer, The snowman who wanted Christmas, and The gift money can't buy. You can also describe your own.
Is my child's photo stored?
No. The photo is used once to draw your child as a storybook character and is then discarded. Saved and shared books contain only the drawings.
How much does it cost?
Trying it is free: you get your child as a cartoon hero, their story, the cover and the first two pages. The full book (up to 10 pages, up to four heroes including pets) is $9 one time, or ₹449 in India. The Family plan is $19 a month for three books.
