IlluStory Make Your Own Story Kit
From Creations by You
Customer Reviews
If their website worked better
this product is great in theory...
I bought this for my 7 year old son. He decided to make his story online and it took him DAYS to complete. He worked very hard on it. After he was done I filled out the "about the author" section and uploaded his picture. Well part that was eaten by their website or something. Because I rechecked it before I put the order through and it wasn't there. So I re-entered it and clicked all the way through to the checkout.
WE got the book (finally, since they send it via media mail)and it had many errors - it had strange shapes that aren't on the screen when you are editing the the book on the website. and it was missing the "about the author" section. My son was in tears. I emailed the company and they were very slow to respond. They said they would send me a link to print out a return shipping label. They didn't until I emailed them AGAIN a few days later to ask for it.
I decided not to mess with the "about the author" section on the website and manually filled it on the form out when I returned the book to them (which I think is silly that they make you return the defective book) Since they failed to include it in the first book I thought I had better write it out for them.
Well I received the 2nd book about 2 weeks later and there is still a few errors and the "about the author" section is HALF of what I had entered on their website the FIRST time. it only says: "about the author" and a picture. No paragraph about my son. They completely disregarded everything I manually wrote out on their form when I sent back the book.
ugh, I am not dealing with this company any more. They need to work out the bugs on their website and get employees that can pay attention. And make their website more user friendly.
Very disappointing.
A Complete Joy!
Being an author and reviewer when my grandchild asked for this kit as a present I was thrilled. It's always nice to see a child want to follow in your footsteps. Was it worth the money? You bet it was.
Inside is everything that was needed for her to use to create her first book. The instructions were easy to follow and she got right to work.
What a great book was made. Her illustrations were exactly as she drew them and she was thrilled to see her very own story come alive. She loves being able to share it with others and it has given her great pride to see she has a book just like her Grammy.
This is well worth your money and will bring a lot of joy and happiness to any child that receives it. I am proud to recommend this product.
A great gift
I had gotten this for my daughters 7th birthday, she was always finding bits of paper around the house and trying to write stories on them. She absolutely loved the gift. I had her start writing the story out on regular paper and then I helped her get it going when she was done. I made sure to count all her words and after we got the story down on the papers I told her that all she needed to do was draw a picture of what was happening in the story on that page. She did a great job. I finished filling out the paperwork and sent it in. I received an e-mail letting me know that they had gotten the story and that her book would soon be here. When she got the book she said was very pleased with how her book turned out. There were no miss spelled words and the pictures looked great! It looks absolutely beautiful, she brought it to school and everywhere. I plan on getting another illustory for her this year as well.
On the topic of miss spelled words...there is a box that you can check to have them keep the spelling the way it was written (in the case that your kid wrote it out and spelled something in a very unique manner and you wanted to keep it that way forever!)
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Publish your own book with the Illustory Make Your Own Book Kit! This award-winning activity kit allows future authors to write and illustrate their very own story on special book pages provided. Once the story is complete, it is sent to be published, and in a few short weeks the budding writer receives a color-copied, professionally type set hardbound book. Ideal for ages five and up, this innovative kit nurtures enthusiasm for reading, writing, and illustrating.
Let the Fun Begin
Illustory Make Your Own Book Kit is not only fun, it also helps your child build self-esteem. You'll never forget the look in your budding writer's eyes as you proudly display his or her first book on your coffee table or bookshelf. This kit even includes an "About the Author" biography page, title, and dedication, just like a real published book. Your child will also enjoy creating the cover and will be able to select from seven cover colors. Families can have fun too as they create their own story together. Extra books with alternate dedication pages can be ordered to make the child's story a gift or keepsake for family, friends, or teachers.
Once your child is finished with the writing, sending the manuscript to publishing is easy, with the included paid postage envelope. Production time is about three to four weeks, plus delivery time. The finished hardcover book measures 7 by 9 inches with 12 pages, and features a permanent hardback binding, a laminated cover drawing, and book title. For techno-savy young authors, the book can be created entirely online by using the Creations By You bookmaking Web site. The entire Illustory kit includes 18 special book pages, 2 cover pages, 10 washable markers, story web planner, instructions, order form, and a prepaid envelope. The correct spelling option allows a choice between leaving spelling errors in or having the words printed correctly.