Why there are so few stories about the things that really matter
Something is going on with your child. A little brother on the way, the first day at a new school, or simply that they keep asking for the same story. And there you stand at the bookshelf, thinking: why is there nothing that is really about this?
That exact question was the beginning of Tales for Now. It came from a father of three boys: Bowie, Charlie and Sam. He saw how much a story can do for a child when it lands at the right moment, and how rare such a story really is.
Most children's stories entertain, and that's fine. Children should get to laugh and drift off. But sometimes you want more: a story that is about something, that lets your child feel something, with no little lesson at the end. Something they recognise themselves in, and feel seen by for a moment.
That's what we make books for. Not a stock story with a name dropped in, but a story that fits who your child is and what's going on in his or her life right now.
What we believe
The right story at the right moment, for every child. That's what everything we do hangs on.
A child of 5 who is scared of the dark doesn't need an explanation. They need a story where the monster turns out to be a little scared too. Explanation is abstract, and passes a child by. In a story it climbs inside the main character, and the child feels from within what is happening.
When your child sees themselves in the story, they feel seen. And that's exactly when the conversations between you and your child come naturally, without you having to force them.
What we watch for
- Personal: every story is shaped around this child, around their name, age and own world.
- Relevant: it connects to what's really going on right now, not to a backdrop we invent around it.
- Meaningful: the meaning comes from the story itself, not from a name pasted into a story that already existed.
- Tangible: you get a real, printed hardcover delivered to your door, to hold on to and keep.
- Right for the age: written in a way and at a reading level that fit how old your child is.
Frequently asked questions
- Who makes Tales for Now?
- Tales for Now began with a simple question: why are there so few good stories about the things that really matter? That question came from a father of three boys, Bowie, Charlie and Sam, who saw how much the right story at the right moment can mean to a child.
- What makes you different from an ordinary personalised book?
- With most personalised books, your child's name goes into a story that was already sitting ready. We don't just personalise the name, but the meaning: the story itself is shaped around this child and what's going on right now. So your child recognises themselves, rather than a name that happens to be theirs.
- What age are the books for?
- For children aged 3 to 12. The story is written in a way and at a reading level that fit the age you choose, so it sounds as though it was truly dreamt up for your child.
Read next
Our dream is that in ten years you won't say "what a lovely book that was", but "that story came exactly when my child needed it". Curious what that looks like for your child?
Make a personal story