Parent tip
Set out crayons and paper before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.
Book Author Game
Create a simple homemade book together from scratch, from the story idea to the illustrated cover.
Activity details
Instructions
- Fold four sheets of paper in half and staple along the spine to create an eight-page book.
- Sit together and brainstorm a character: "Who is our story about?"
- Decide on a simple problem and resolution together.
- On page one, write the child's dictated opening sentence as they watch.
- Hand them a pencil or crayons to illustrate that page.
- Continue page by page, alternating between dictation and illustration.
- Design the cover last: title, author name (your child's name), and a cover illustration.
- Read the completed book aloud with full dramatic expression.
What success looks like
Messy hands and a child who doesn’t want to stop. The artwork doesn’t need to look like anything — the process is the point.
Fold three or four sheets of A4 paper in half to make a small book and staple the spine. Together, decide on a story: a character, a problem, and a resolution. Your child dictates the words as you write them, and then illustrates each page. At the end, design the cover with the title and author's name. Read the finished book together, then add it to the bookshelf. The pride of authorship is extraordinary — and so is the literacy learning packed inside.
Why it helps
The National Literacy Trust notes that recognising print in the environment is one of the earliest stages of reading development, building the understanding that marks carry meaning. The authoring process builds print awareness, narrative structure, and the understanding that written words represent spoken language — a concept foundational to reading acquisition (Clay, 1975). Dictating a story develops oral composition skills, while illustrating connects meaning-making to print. Research on shared book creation shows that the process dramatically increases motivation to engage with books and deepens comprehension of author's purpose (Duke & Purcell-Gates, 2003).
Variations
- Make a non-fiction book instead: "Everything I Know About Dinosaurs."
- Use stickers, magazine cut-outs, and stamps instead of drawing for illustrations.
- Share the finished book with a grandparent or relative via photo or video.
Safety tips
- Supervise stapling — use a safety stapler or do that step yourself.
- Keep the story simple: three to five pages is plenty for sustained engagement.
- If your child wants to cut pages, guide their hand and use child-safe scissors — let them do the folding and decorating independently.
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