Vintage Engraving
Fine etched lines and sepia tones, like a treasured book from another century.
Gift guide · Grandparents
A Grandparent Gift That Is More Grandkids
Grandparents do not want more things; they want more of the grandchildren. A book that draws grandchild and grandparent into the same illustrated story delivers exactly that, in a format that lives on the coffee table, not in a drawer.
The pairing story is the classic: fishing trips, kitchen lessons, garden afternoons, real or lovingly imagined. Vintage engraving and Japanese woodblock give it heirloom weight.
Adult children can commission everything remotely: gather photos over the family chat, approve the proof from another city, ship straight to their door. A hardcover earns its place on that coffee table.
Before you order
- When should you order?
- Three weeks before the date you have in mind. There is also an argument for no date at all. A book that arrives on an ordinary Thursday gets read properly, whereas one opened at a crowded birthday gets admired for ninety seconds and put on a pile with the cards.
- The detail that brings the story to life
- Ask them something before you order, and ask it about a time before you existed. The job they had at nineteen, how they met, the house with the cold hallway. Most books of this kind are written from the grandchild's side and end up being about the grandchild. The ones that land are about the person receiving them.
- Is a printed book right for them?
- It is the one gift category where the format matters more than the content. A hardcover on a side table gets picked up by visitors and reread; nothing on a phone does. That is also why this occasion skews toward vintage engraving and pencil sketch, which read as something to keep rather than something new.
Styles that suit the occasion
Four illustration worlds we reach for most often. There are twenty-four in total.
Impressionist
Loose brushwork and dappled light, as if your story were painted en plein air.
Watercolour Storybook
Soft washes and tender light, the classic picture-book feeling, painted warm.
Japanese Woodblock
Flat planes of colour and bold outlines in the serene ukiyo-e tradition.
How it works
Send a few photos and the moment you want remembered. We write an original story, illustrate every page in your chosen style, and send you a digital proof. You approve it before any payment is taken; then we print and ship the hardcover.
The whole process, step by stepFrom the journal
Start their book
Most books are proofed within days. Tell us the moment; we do the rest.
Begin the storyHardcover, $137.50, shipping included. You approve a digital proof before paying.