Fableself
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Gift guide · Mother's Day

A Mother's Day Gift Made From Memory

Mothers are the family's memory-keepers, and almost nobody keeps a record of them. A book that tells her story, the kitchen, the songs, the years of small invisible work, turns the tables for once.

An illustrated page from a Fableself book, Mother's Day

Grown children often commission these together: photos gathered from three phones, one shared story about her. Impressionist and watercolour styles suit the register; art nouveau if she has a flair for the ornate.

Write the dedication yourselves. In our experience that half-page is the part she reads first and cries at; the rest of the book is the excuse.

Before you order

The last sensible order date
Mother's Day is a fixed date and shipping gets busy that week. For a printed book, starting about three weeks ahead is safe. Leaving it late does not sink the gift: print the proof on the day you approve it, and let the book itself arrive a few days later.
Which angle to take
There are two different books here: one about your mother's own childhood and youth, and one about the memories you share with her. Trying to fit both into one book usually weakens both.
Do old photos work?
Faded, scanned, slightly blurred shots work perfectly well as reference. What matters is that the face is clear in at least one or two of them.

Styles that suit the occasion

Four illustration worlds we reach for most often. There are twenty-four in total.

See all 24 styles

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 step

From the journal

Start their book

Most books are proofed within days. Tell us the moment; we do the rest.

Begin the story

Hardcover, $137.50, shipping included. You approve a digital proof before paying.