Make their book
Children’s books for adults

Funny children’s books for adults

A children’s book works on an adult because the form is played completely straight: the big friendly numbers, the counting, the cheerful narrator, all of it sincere and all of it about a grown adult you know. Send one photo of them and a few true things about them, and we print it. Their face is drawn correctly. Their hands are a separate matter.

Their face, on a toddler’s body, in full color, properly bound.

Make their book

Ten Little Fingers, Denise’s First Counting Book: the printed cover. Little Denise, a toddler with a grown woman’s face, waves both hands behind a dental-office front desk.

The book to blame

See every book

A sample spread

FOUR! Little Denise adds a mark to Gary’s tally on the fridge while every kitchen cabinet hangs open.

Gary leaves a cabinet open.

Denise makes a mark.

Gary leaves another one open.

Denise makes another mark.

That is four before breakfast.

Ten Little Fingers: Denise’s First Counting Book, pages 12–13. Finished art, printed as drawn.

How it works

  1. A hand drops a printed photo into the slop machine’s hopper.

    Feed it one photo.

  2. The slop machine shakes and steams, rivets popping off.

    It does its thing.

  3. A finished picture book pops out of the slop machine’s chute.

    A real book comes out.

The whole process

Questions

What makes a children’s book funny for an adult?

Nothing in the writing admits it’s a joke. It’s a real picture book, in the real shape of one, about somebody with a job and a car — and the pictures don’t always agree with the text. That gap is the gift.

Is the person drawn as a child?

Their own face, as it is, on a toddler’s body — clothed, with nothing suggestive about it. It’s the oldest cheap trick in comedy and it has never once stopped working.

How does it work, and what do you need from me?

You pick the book, send one clear photo of them and a few true things about them. We write and illustrate the book from that. You must confirm they’re an adult (18 or older), they’re willing to star in a gag book, and you have permission to share their photo.

Will it arrive in time?

We print and bind the book after you order it, so it isn’t instant — and we won’t promise a date here that we can’t keep for your address. Order with room to spare. If the day is close, write to hello@hellosorry.com first and we’ll tell you honestly whether it can make it.

When this gets given

All collections

Somebody you love deserves this. We’re so sorry.

One photo. One real book. A lifetime of them bringing it up at dinner.

Make their book

From $19.99 · Character redraws: free, up to six a day · Digital copy with every printed book