Iraya Sparkid or IrayaBooks: the four questions a parent asks before choosing
We uploaded the same photo of Hugo, aged 8, to Sparkid and to IrayaBooks on 8 October 2026. First, to be straight about it: the 3D avatar Sparkid made looked a lot like him and kept his fringe well. If all you're after is a recognisable face, it does the job. But a book is more than a face, and on the questions a parent asks before paying, our answers are better.
Free preview in about 2 minutes · €39.99 hardback
How will my child look inside the book?
Sparkid, a Belgian brand, turns the photo into a 3D avatar in the style of animated films in about twenty seconds. It then places it in the scenes with a big head and a small body, against almost photographic backgrounds: a cobbled street, a fire engine. It's cute and you can recognise him, but the character and the background are made with two different techniques, and it shows: he looks as if he's been placed in front of the scenery.
At IrayaBooks the child is drawn with the same brush as the rest of the page: the light from the storm falls on his face, the cape moves in the wind and his proportions are those of a real child. What you hold in your hands is a good old-fashioned picture book, with your little one inside.
What can I see before paying?
Sparkid never asks for your email, and that's welcome. It shows two images from inside the book with the avatar, without any text; a note explains that the story is added after you place the order. There's no cover with your child on it: in the basket, the book thumbnail is the one from its catalogue, with a different child.
We do ask for an email, and in return you see their finished cover, with their face and a title with their name, within a couple of minutes and without paying. It's the page they'll see every time they take the book off the shelf, and it tells you how they'll look in the rest of it, because inside, the drawing of every scene has already been approved.
What story will I be reading to them?
On Sparkid, your child's preview has no text: the story is added when you order, although on the product page you can read a sample book with another child. At IrayaBooks every story is written in advance, with rhyme and rhythm for reading aloud, and on the page for Super Hero Saves the City or Dinosaur Valley you can leaf through the whole book before ordering. In the superhero one, for example, your little one stops a giant robot, holds up a bus full of people with one hand and gets back home through the window without anyone noticing.
Sparkid advertises 36 illustrated pages; ours have 33, with the story text printed on every scene.
How much do I pay, and what if I don't like it?
At Sparkid prices start at €39.95 for a paperback. On 8 October 2026 we saw the hardback at €44.95 and the premium edition at €54.95; the dedication was a €3.95 extra, with a note saying that “89% of families” add it, and delivery was calculated at the next step. Its guarantee is satisfaction or your money back.
Ours is always hardback: €39.99, plus €4.99 delivery, with the dedication included and written by you. Our guarantee works differently: before it's printed, a person checks it and, if you don't like how it's turned out, we redo it for free, once. It arrives in 7 to 9 working days, and you know the exact date before you pay. And if there are two of them, there are stories for siblings and for a mum and her baby, each with their own photo; at Sparkid we only saw books for one child.
Our books
Super Hero Saves the City
Dinosaur Valley
The Sock Planet
The Magic Button
The Arms That Rock YouFrequently asked questions
Does Sparkid look more like the child?
In our test, its 3D avatar looked a lot like Hugo, especially thanks to the fringe. The difference is in everything else: we draw him into every scene of an illustrated story, and you see the cover before paying.
Does Sparkid ask for your email address?
It didn't ask for it at any point during the test. We ask for it when we create the cover, so we can save it and send it to you.
How much does a Sparkid book cost?
On 8 October 2026 we saw the paperback at €39.95, the hardback at €44.95 and the premium at €54.95, plus €3.95 if you add the dedication; delivery is calculated at the next step. They all have 36 pages.
What if I don't like the result?
Sparkid refunds your money if you're not satisfied. We'd rather put it right before the book exists: you've already seen the cover, a person checks the inside and, if something still doesn't convince you, we redo it once at no cost before printing.