The dedication is the first page a child sees with their name on it, and often the page parents and grandparents care about most. Years later it is the page that turns a picture book into a keepsake.
Five tips for writing a dedication
- Keep it short. One or two sentences read best on a single page.
- Use their name. "To Mia" beats "To my daughter".
- Say who it is from. Grandparents especially: "Love, Grandma and Grandpa".
- Mark the moment. A birthday, a new home, a new baby brother, the first day of school.
- Add a wish. Something they can grow into: be brave, be kind, keep asking questions.
Birthday dedications
- To Leo on your fourth birthday. May every year be an adventure.
- Happy 5th birthday, Ava! This story is all yours.
- For Noah, who turns three today and already roars like a dinosaur.
- To our birthday girl: the bravest explorer we know.
- Happy birthday, Sam. Here's to another year of big questions.
- For Lily, on her sixth birthday, with all our love.
- To Max: four candles, one hero.
- For Zoe, who makes every birthday brighter.
From grandparents
- To Harper. Happy birthday, from Nanny with love.
- For our grandson Ethan, the hero of every story we tell.
- To Mia, from Grandma and Grandpa, who love you to the moon and back.
- For Olivia: read this one with us next time we visit.
- To our little captain, Jack. Love, Grandpa.
- For Ella, so you never forget how proud we are of you.
- To Leo, from Bubbe and Zeide, with a hug in every page.
- For our favorite adventurer. Love always, Nana.
For a new sibling
- To Ava, the best big sister in the whole sea.
- For Noah, our new big brother and the bravest one of all.
- To Sam: there's always room for two heroes in this family.
- For Lily, who is about to have a very lucky little brother.
Bedtime and everyday love
- For Mia, whose bedtime stories are our favorite part of the day.
- To Leo: dream big, sleep tight.
- For Zoe. Every night, you are our favorite story.
- To Max, who asks for "one more page" every night.
- For Ethan: may you always find your way home.
- To our little star, Ella. Shine bright.
- For Jack, with love, for all the nights to come.
- To Olivia, our forever bedtime buddy.
Brave, kind and curious
- For Noah: be brave, be kind, be you.
- To Ava, who never stops asking why.
- For Sam, who helps everyone, every day.
- To Lily: the world is big, and so is your heart.
- For Harper, who knows that small steps make big splashes.
- To Leo, who is braver than he knows.
- For Mia: keep exploring.
- To Zoe, who makes friends everywhere she goes.
In Storyling you add the dedication when you create the book, and it is printed on its own page at the front. It is optional, and you can change it in a new free preview.
Questions
- How long should a children's book dedication be?
- One or two sentences, about 10 to 25 words. It should fit comfortably on one page.
- Should a dedication include the date?
- It can. Adding the occasion, like "on your fourth birthday", often means more than a date and still tells the story years later.
- Where does the dedication go in a personalized book?
- At the front. In a Storyling book it sits on its own page, after the cover, with the line "A story made for" and the child's name.