Turn your story into a Christmas keepsake made to treasure.

Yes. For free, you write your whole story, create up to six characters, choose your illustration style and see your first 4 pages illustrated. If you love it, unlock for US$7.40 to see every page, edit the words and regenerate up to 15 illustrations. The US$7.40 is credited towards your book: hardcover US$48.80, softcover US$40.80 or PDF US$18.80. Shipping applies to printed books. See pricing

Christmas delivery depends on your destination and when you order. Check the delivery estimate before purchasing. Your first 4 pages are ready as soon as you have created your characters.

You can still give a story on Christmas morning. Every order comes with a digital flipbook the whole family can read on any device, ready as soon as you finish your book. Add the PDF if you'd like a copy to keep or print, or order the printed book and let it follow after Christmas. Or give a gift voucher, delivered instantly, so they can sit down with the kids and create the story together.

Pip creates each character from your photo or description, and you'll see them on your 4 preview pages before you pay. The more detail you give (build, hairstyle, skin tone, outfit), the closer the likeness. You get up to 5 character regenerations in your free preview, then 15 image regenerations after unlocking, with more available if you need them. Some customers love their characters straight away; others tweak a few details. Judge your own preview before paying.

Start with a memory or a half-formed idea and Bandigon will help you shape it. Most people finish in 20 minutes to an hour, depending on how much they personalise, and you can save and come back anytime. Short on time? Ask Bandigon to write the story for you. It will still be a gift no one else could give.

Not at all. Customers have made books about partners, parents, pets, imaginary worlds, shared memories and even a childcare induction. You can start with an idea rather than a finished story. A long-form memoir may need a different format.

Most personalised books give you a pre-written story with a name and an avatar dropped in. With Bandigon, the story is yours, so no two books are the same. Bandigon helps with the words, Pip creates the characters and Billy illustrates the book. One customer who had tried Canva found Bandigon far easier; another loved writing the whole story instead of using a set one.

We use your photo to help describe and illustrate your character. A private copy is kept temporarily while we create the character portrait, then deleted when that process finishes. Your photo isn't published in your book.

That's absolutely fine. Describe them in words, and the more detail the better. Here are two examples: Child: A 3-year-old girl of European heritage with curly, shoulder-length blonde hair and a fringe, blue eyes, fair skin, an oval face, dimples and full cheeks. She's wearing a green summer dress, pink heart-shaped sunglasses, white sneakers and a red Christmas headband with a small sparkly bow. Adult: A tall 40-year-old man, around 175 cm, with short, straight light-brown hair swept back, green eyes, light skin, short stubble, a prominent nose, thin lips and a square jaw. He's wearing aviator sunglasses, a light blue shirt open over a black V-neck T-shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbows, denim shorts and black thongs.