Bottom line
SKRIBL makes a memory book — 15 of your photographs redrawn as colouring pages, plus 10 blank pages, wire bound in softback or hardback, made in Britain, £23.95 plus shipping. Magic Moon Books makes a story book — your child illustrated as the hero of an original 41-page adventure, from £18.99 with free standard shipping, and you see a preview before you order. If you want specific real photographs preserved, or a hardback, SKRIBL does that well. If you want a story that gets read at bedtime as well as coloured in — and about a third off the delivered price — that is Magic Moon.
Quick comparison
The key differences at a glance.
| Feature | Magic MoonUs | SKRIBL |
|---|---|---|
| Starts from your photos | Yes | Yes |
| What happens to the photos | Your child is illustrated as a story character | Your photos are redrawn as line art |
| Story included | Yes — an original illustrated adventure | No — it is a photo colouring book |
| Colouring pages | 20, plus 20 story pages | 15 photo pages + 10 blank pages |
| See it before you buy | Yes — preview before you order | No — the reveal is on delivery |
| Pick the exact images | No — scenes follow the story | Yes — your own photos |
| Format | Softback colouring storybook | Softback or hardback, wire bound |
| Paper | Heavyweight, no bleed-through | 170gsm, single-sided |
| Made in | Printed near you | Great Britain |
| Price | From £18.99, free standard shipping | £23.95 + £1.95 UK shipping |
| Audience | Children, roughly 3–10 | Kids and adults alike |
Who each book is best for
Choose Magic Moon if…
- You want a story your child stars in, not just pictures to colour
- You want to see a preview before you commit to the order
- You would like siblings, friends or grandparents written in as characters
- You want your child illustrated as a character rather than their photo redrawn
- You want the lower delivered price — £18.99 including UK shipping
Choose SKRIBL if…
- You want specific real photographs preserved — a holiday, a pet, a year
- Choosing the exact images matters more to you than having a story
- You want a hardback, or wire binding that lies flat while colouring
- You are buying for an adult, or for a mixed-age household
- Blank pages to draw on matter as much as the printed ones
See the difference
Both begin with your photos. SKRIBL redraws them in a clean, bold line style; Magic Moon Books illustrates your child as a character and builds a story around them.
Magic Moon
Character illustrated from your uploaded photo. Colouring pages on every spread. Siblings and friends can appear as characters.
SKRIBL
15 of your photographs redrawn as colouring pages, plus 10 blank pages to draw on. Personalised cover and dedication page. Wire bound, 170gsm, single-sided, made in Great Britain.
What makes Magic Moon different
An illustrated character, not a traced photo
SKRIBL redraws the photograph itself, so the page is your picture in line form. Magic Moon Books uses the photo as reference to illustrate your child as a character, who then appears throughout the story in different scenes and poses. Both are recognisably your child — one is the photo redrawn, the other is a character built from it.
Colouring and a story, not colouring alone
SKRIBL gives you 15 pages made from your photos and 10 blank ones, with no narrative connecting them. Magic Moon Books writes an original adventure your child stars in across 41 pages, so there is something to read aloud as well as something to colour. Parents tell us the book gets used twice over: coloured in during the day, read at bedtime.
The whole family can appear
Magic Moon lets you add siblings, friends or family members as additional characters — each illustrated from their own photo. This turns the book into a genuinely shared family experience, rather than something made for one child alone.
A gift they form a real attachment to
The combination of a character that looks like them, an adventure they can colour, and being the star of the story creates a level of engagement most books do not achieve. Magic Moon books get kept, re-read and re-coloured rather than finished once and shelved.
What parents say
“I wasn't sure what to expect but honestly it turned out beautifully. The illustrations were lovely and my son was so excited to spot himself throughout the book.”
Rachel H.
“My little girl spent nearly an hour colouring the pages the day it arrived and then wanted the story read before bed. It's rare to find something that keeps her interested for that long.”
Sophie L.
“I bought this for my granddaughters and wasn't expecting to get emotional about it. I felt connected to the images and the storyline hooked me at the end.”
Jonathan P.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Magic Moon Books and SKRIBL?
Both turn your photos into a colouring book, so the difference is what you get back. SKRIBL redraws your actual photographs in a clean, bold line style — you choose the pictures and colour in real moments. Magic Moon Books uses the photos as reference to illustrate your child as a character, then writes an original story around them. SKRIBL makes a memory book; Magic Moon makes a story book.
Does SKRIBL include a story?
No. SKRIBL produces 15 colouring pages made from your photos plus 10 blank pages to draw on, with a personalised cover and dedication page. There is no narrative. Magic Moon Books writes a 41-page illustrated adventure your child stars in, so it can be read at bedtime as well as coloured in.
Can I see the book before it is printed?
With Magic Moon Books, yes — you see a preview before you order, so you know what your child's character looks like first. SKRIBL does not preview pages before delivery; they describe the reveal as part of the experience. If you are buying for a big occasion and want certainty, that is a meaningful difference.
Which is better value?
Magic Moon Books starts at £18.99 with free UK standard shipping, so £18.99 delivered. SKRIBL is £23.95 plus UK shipping from £1.95, so around £25.90 delivered. Magic Moon is roughly a third cheaper all-in and includes more pages plus an original story. SKRIBL offers a hardback option, which Magic Moon does not at the entry price.
Which one is better for adults?
SKRIBL. They market the book as universal difficulty and explicitly aim it at kids and grown-ups alike, and the wire binding lies flat, which suits detailed colouring. Magic Moon Books is built for children roughly 3 to 10 — the story and the artwork are pitched at that age range.
How quickly does each arrive?
SKRIBL quotes 4–7 working days production plus 2 days shipping for softback, and 10–14 plus 2 for hardback. Magic Moon Books customers typically report arrival within about five days. If you are ordering close to a birthday, check current lead times on both.