A personalised book about feeling homesick

Homesickness often turns up when you least expect it: in the evening at a friend's house, the first night on a school trip, in the middle of a holiday that was such fun during the day. It is a sign that home is a good place, but it still feels heavy. In a book about feeling homesick, your child follows a hero who is away, misses home and finds a way to carry it with them. Your child gets to see that the longing passes, and that you can have a lovely time away and miss home at the same time.

A book about homesickness can be about the first night at the grandparents', a school residential trip, a few nights in hospital or a long journey. The hero might find comfort in something brought from home, ring to say goodnight, discover that the friend in the next bed is missing someone too, or draw a map of the way home to see that it isn't so far after all. The last page can be the homecoming, or the next morning, when things already feel better. Homesickness can also strike at home, when someone you miss is away, and then the book can turn the story round.

What makes a book like this strong is the small details from home. Tell us what your child misses most when they are away: a song at bedtime, a special blanket, the cat that sleeps at their feet, the train that rumbles past in the evening. If your child is going to sleep away soon, mention where and with whom, and the book becomes a way to prepare. Love is a message that fits beautifully here. For a first night at a friend's there is also the Sleepovers theme.

The very youngest need a short, safe story about someone always coming back. A four-year-old needs a night away with clear comfort and a happy homecoming. School-age children can read about a trip where homesickness and fun compete, and where the hero works out for themselves what helps.

After reading, make something that can be taken along: a little drawing of the family, a note with a secret word only you two know, a smooth stone from the garden. Talk about what your child thinks would help on an evening away, and let them choose. It is comforting to have something to hold when your thoughts wander home. A jumper that smells of home can go in the bag too.

You fill in the child's name, age and what they like, and upload a photo. The story about feeling homesick is written for your very own child, and the thirteen pictures and the cover are drawn from the photo in the style you choose. Brothers and sisters, parents, grandparents or the pet can come along, up to five characters. If you would like to include something that has happened lately, a trip or a lost tooth, just write it and it is woven in.

The eBook is ready a few minutes after payment. Read it, change the text and ask for new pictures until you are happy. Then order it as an A4 hardback book, printed and sent to your door, or straight to the child as a gift. Do add the colouring pages. Start creating the book or read more about the prices. Would you like to see a finished book before you decide? Browse our example books.