If you are searching "lost my name personalized book", you are almost certainly remembering a specific gift — the book where a child collects the letters of their own name — and wondering what it was called, whether it still exists, and whether there is something like it now that your child is a bit older.
Short answers: it was the first book from a company that later renamed itself Wonderbly; yes, it still exists; and yes — there is a different kind of personalized book now, one that paints your child from a photo instead of spelling their name. Here is the difference, honestly, and a real book to read.
What was the "Lost My Name" book?#
A picture book in which a child has lost their name and goes looking for it, meeting a character for each letter — an aardvark for A, and so on — until the letters spell them out at the end. The company that made it was called Lost My Name; it later renamed itself Wonderbly and kept making the book alongside other name-based titles.
It was, and is, a good idea: the personalization is structural — a five-letter name makes a five-creature story — rather than a name typed into a blank. That is why so many families still remember it by the original title, and why the old name is still searched close to 3,000 times a month in the US.
What is different about a book painted from a photo?#
The name book changes the words. A photo-painted book changes the pictures.
| Name-letters book | Photo-painted picture book | |
|---|---|---|
| What is personal | The name, and the letters that spell it | The child's face, hair, clothes — painted on every page |
| Where the story comes from | One story, adapted to the letters | Written from a few sentences you type about your child's real week |
| Who else can be in it | The child alone | Up to three companions: a sibling, a grandparent, the dog, an imaginary friend |
| What the child says | "That's my name" | "That's me" |
| Best age | 1–4 | 3–8 |
| Price | Mid-range | On the pricing page; hardcover ships free |
Neither is a trick. But they answer different wishes. The name book is a lovely first gift. The painted book is for the moment — around three — when a child recognises their own face and the fact that they are in a story becomes the whole point.
Here is a complete one, so you are not taking the word "painted" on trust. Olivia's book was built from a fantasy note about a rainbow waterfall; she is recognisably herself on all eleven story pages. Read the whole thing:
The actual book
Read it, and hear it
Everything below is the finished book — not a mock-up, not a selection of the good pages. The song is the one the family received.
The photo they uploaded
The character we drew
Written from this story — not a stock track with a name dropped in.
The full story, in text
- 1Olivia stepped between the trees. Sunlight flickered over moss, leaves rustled softly, and something bright shimmered ahead.
- 2Olivia looked through the ferns. A glowing rainbow waterfall poured down the rocks, brightening every leaf around it.
- 3She moved closer. Red, gold, green and blue danced across the water, while tiny drops sparkled beside her.
- 4Then the forest began to change. Green trunks, silver stones and soft brown roots shone with new colours.
- 5A butterfly floated past Olivia's nose. Another brushed the air beside her, and soon the clearing danced with wings.
- 6Olivia held out her hands. Butterflies circled them, but they stayed free, fluttering wherever the bright air carried them.
- 7She listened to the rushing water. It sounded bright and busy, with a steady hush beneath every splash.
- 8Olivia looked up. Coloured light climbed the tallest trees, making their leaves sparkle from roots to leafy tops.
- 9The butterflies crossed the rainbow light. Olivia turned slowly, following their gentle zigzags through the glowing forest.
- 10At last, Olivia stopped beside the waterfall. She breathed slowly and watched the colours ripple over the quiet stones.
- 11The whole forest glowed around Olivia. Butterflies danced through the sparkling colours, and the waterfall sang on.
- 12Olivia carried the shining colours in her memory as she left the forest. Behind her, the rainbow waterfall kept glowing.
The words to the song
[Verse 1] Olivia stepped through trees so green Sunlight danced on moss so clean Red, gold, green and blue shone bright A rainbow waterfall lit the sight [Chorus] Olivia, Olivia, look and see Butterflies dance wild and free Rainbow water sings its song Sparkling colours all day long [Verse 2] Green trunks and silver stones shone Soft brown roots lit up below Butterflies brushed the glowing air Olivia held out both hands there [Chorus] Olivia, Olivia, look and see Butterflies dance wild and free Rainbow water sings its song Sparkling colours all day long
What does the story come from, if not the name?#
From you. Two or three sentences about something real, or a wish:
| Weak note | Strong note |
|---|---|
| "She likes rainbows" | "She is certain there is a door behind the waterfall and has decided what is on the other side" |
| "He is a big brother now" | "He checks the cot every morning to see if the baby has arrived yet" |
| "A day at the beach" | "She dug a hole so deep her hat disappeared into it, and then the tide came" |
The right column is what the illustrator paints and what the child recognises. If you want the principle, what makes a good children's story explains why the small specific thing always beats the announcement.
Which should I choose?#
- The child is under two, and this is a first book → the name book is a fine gift, and so is a painted book they will grow into; either way you are buying the reading, not the object.
- The child is three or older → the painted book. "That's me" is the reaction you are paying for, and letters cannot produce it.
- You want the family in it → the painted book; up to three companions from photos.
- You want it to be about something that actually happened — the puddle, the lost tooth, the first swim → the painted book. A name has no week.
- You want to see it before paying → on KindFable the painted cover of your child appears free; you decide after.
For the wider question — how every personalized book company compares on the seven things that actually matter — see personalised book makers, compared.
How is a photo-painted book made?#
On KindFable, about twenty minutes:
- Name and age — the story is written to the age.
- One photo — a clear face in daylight. It becomes a painted character and is never stored.
- A parental consent box.
- The story box — the two lines from the table above.
- An art style — nine looks, from warm 3D to classic storybook (Olivia's, above).
- The cover appears, free. softcover or hardcover — current prices are on the pricing page, and the hardcover ships free. Digital book and a song from the story with both; the hardcover adds a narrated audiobook.
Afterwards it lives in your library — read it tonight, hear it, order an extra copy for a grandparent at half price, or make the next one.
Frequently asked questions#
-
Does the name still appear in a photo-painted book? Yes — the child's name is in the story throughout, on the cover, and on the dedication page. The difference is that the name is not the only personal thing.
-
Can I get the letters idea and the painting together? Not as one product; they are different books. Many families own both — the name book from the first birthday, the painted book from the third.
-
Is my child's photo safe? The photo is used to paint the character and then deleted. It is never stored, and nothing is ever recognised or matched. The plain-English version is on the privacy page.
-
How long does the printed book take? Roughly two weeks; checkout shows a real delivery estimate for your address before you pay. The digital book is ready in about twenty minutes.
You remembered the book. Now they are old enough to be in one. Start with the photo and see them on the cover before you decide anything.
