Stories in the voices we love
A story only you could tell them.
A one-of-a-kind illustrated story for a child you love, backed by science, read aloud in a voice they love, and sent as a keepsake by parents and grandparents, near or far.
One story, $19.99 $9.99 at launch. Ten minutes tonight. Theirs forever.
No account needed. We’ll email you a private link to your shelf.
A sample story
Transcript: Max used to live next door to Grandpa. Every morning Grandpa woke him up, made pancakes, and drove him to school. Then Max moved far away.
IFor the ones far away
Feel closer, even when you’re far away.
Create a personalized story starring the child you love, then narrate it in your own voice so they can hear you read even when you can’t be there in person. Whether you’re a grandparent across the country, a parent traveling for work, or a loved one deployed overseas, you can still be part of storytime.
Add their favorite people, pets, places, traditions, and inside jokes to create a story that can only come from you.
Stories for real moments
- The first day of school
- A new sibling
- Big feelings
- Friendship troubles
Each Heirloom Story is more than a story; it’s a keepsake of the bond you share.
IIBacked by science
Built on decades of research into how storytelling grows early language.
Unlike other platforms, Heirloom Stories is guided by developmental linguistic principles, so a bedtime story can do more for a child’s early mastery of words.
Finding one
The language window is early
Clinical and developmental psychologists have proven that the language learning window is strongest in a child’s early years.
Finding two
Too many children miss it
Many children aren’t exposed to language when it matters most. This is often called the language gap, and it can shape school success, career readiness, and even economic mobility later on.
Finding three
Storytelling can close it
We’re addressing this head-on through simple, research-guided storytelling: developmental linguistic principles that reimagine what’s possible for your child’s early mastery of words.
Science-driven social stories
New situations can be scary for kiddos. Heirloom Stories lets loved ones help through social stories, the gold-standard method recommended by developmental psychologists and leading pediatricians.
Moments a story can help with
- Traveling by airplane for the first time
- Dealing with middle school bullies
- Processing the loss of a pet
What you get
- Psychologist-backed social stories
- Developmentally appropriate for their age
- Personalized with the details only you know
IIIThe illustrations
The same story, painted fourteen ways.
Choose the visual language that feels most like them.
IVHow it works
A story tonight, made your way.
Create it in minutes, or make it even more personal by recording every word yourself.
Tell us about them
Share their name, age, favorite things, and a few special details. Just answer a few gentle questions about someone you already know by heart.
Choose how it’s read
Record the full story yourself, in the voice they know and love. Short on time? With your permission, record a brief sample and Heirloom can generate the narration in your voice. Or choose our warm storybook narrator to read the story for you.
Listen, then share
Preview every word before anyone else does. Make any changes you’d like, then send a private link that never expires.
Everything saves as you go. Finish tonight or pick it up tomorrow.
VThe arrival
It arrives from you, not from an app.
They open a private note, lift the cover, and hear the person they love begin the first page.
You listen to everything before it is sent.
“For the nights I can’t be there to read beside you.”
FromGrandpa Joe <joe@family.example>
SubjectA story for Lena
A private story from Grandpa Joe
Lena and the first snow
I made this for you so my voice can still find you at bedtime.
From the first families
“We live in California, my parents are in Ukraine. My kids barely knew their grandmother’s voice. Now they fall asleep to it every night.”
“Nothing was working on the grocery-store tantrums, not the books, not the bribes, nothing. Then we made her a story about her big feelings, and I honestly don’t worry about the checkout line anymore.”
“My grandson starts kindergarten this fall. He’s been falling asleep to my stories for months now, and the way that boy talks: whole long sentences, words that surprise me. I’d like to think his grandpa had a little something to do with it.”
“I still print my emails. If I can make a talking storybook for my granddaughter, anyone can.”
Our mission
To bring families closer, and make meaningful, research-informed storytelling more accessible.
Personalized children’s stories with custom illustrations, read aloud in the voices children love, so more families can share stories together, near or far.