Stephan
FounderHeard “One more story!” every single night and turned it into a company. Makes sure every story has a heart.
About us · Hamburg
Two dads, one kitchen table and a whole lot of bedtime stories.
Starringbooks was born at our kitchen table in Hamburg. Between laptops, coffee and kids’ drawings, we build books in which your child plays the lead role.
Founded by Stephan & Dieter.
Tested by Amaru & Ilya.
The team behind every book
Two founders, two chief testers and a lot of love for detail
We drew ourselves the same way we draw the children in your book. Pick a style:
Chief Storyteller
Dieter
FounderBuilds the machine that turns your idea into a whole book in minutes. Never without the pencil behind his ear.
Amaru
Stephan’s sonOur strictest tester. A book only passes if there’s an animal in it, it survives being opened a hundred times and he wants to read it again straight away.
Ilya
Dieter’s sonDecides whether a dragon looks scary enough and whether the spaceship has enough buttons. No picture leaves without his okay.
Soon you?
We’re growingLove children’s books, stories or really good tech? Drop us a line. There’s still a seat free at our kitchen table.
Write to usYou can choose all three styles for your own book, too. Try it now
How it started
Four moments that turned into Starringbooks
- The moment
"One more story…"
When we became dads, everything changed. Daily life is loud, hectic and full of screens. But in the evening, when the lights are dimmed and a small voice asks for a story, everything goes quiet. That’s when we realised what actually matters.
- The observation
Tablets capture. Books open up.
We saw how quickly tablet content is consumed, and how little of it sticks. Open a real book together and something else happens: eyes light up, the funniest questions appear, imagination becomes tangible.
- The idea
What if the child were the main character?
Stories shape little people, and they land far deeper when children can find themselves inside them. So we started building books where the hero isn’t just anyone, but exactly your child or grandchild.
- Today
Books families actually keep
Today a book made for exactly one child takes a few minutes: their name, their look, their story. Printed as a real hardcover that will still be there long after the tablet has been replaced.
A book that isn’t just read aloud but truly experienced. A book that empowers, builds courage, and says: You matter. Your story counts.
Our approach
Technology that connects, instead of isolating
We use cutting-edge AI, but with a different goal: not to keep children glued to screens for longer, but to bring them back to the book.
Imagination over passive consumption
Every story is written from scratch. Not a template with a name swapped in.
Curiosity over endless scrolling
Details in the illustrations you only spot on the third read. That’s why the book comes off the shelf again.
Shared reading over solitary swiping
Our success isn’t screen time. It’s the half hour you spend side by side on the sofa.
Your data stays yours
Reference photos are used only for your book and deleted after printing. Based and invoiced in Hamburg, Germany.
Our strictest quality control
If our kids don’t love it, it doesn’t reach you.
New styles, stories and ideas land on our sofa first, with Amaru and Ilya. A book passes when it clears these three tests:
- 1Your child recognises themselves at first glance.
- 2There’s something to discover on every page.
- 3It ends with a loud “Again!”
What comes out of it
No series. Every book a one-off.
A small glimpse of books that exist exactly once.
What parents say
What parents say about their book
4,9 out of 5 stars from 60 reviews
The book turned out so beautifully! The story is simple and really lovely, just right for a two-year-old. Thank you so much for the help. Such friendly contact! I'm sure our granddaughter will be delighted! Thank you!
Translated from German
I love everything about this book. The animation and the beautiful colors are just perfect. The story is absolutely delightful and we are going to have so much fun reading it aloud.
Translated from German
The book is written just right for children. I like it very much. The drawings are gorgeous! It's also great that you can still change the text yourself (e.g. add names).
Translated from German
Sometimes it’s a memory.
Sometimes a world that never existed.
Both matter equally to us, as long as what stands at the end is a book that belongs to exactly one child and exists nowhere else.
Make your child the hero
Design your book in a few minutes. You only decide at the end whether you want it as a PDF, softcover or hardcover.
No subscription. You pay once per book.