Free printable story kits for kids
Two printable PDFs that turn a rainy afternoon into a finished book: a 14-page make-your-own picture book kit, and 24 story prompt cards. US Letter and A4, free for home and classroom use.
Make Your Own Picture Book Kit
Everything a child needs to write, illustrate, and publish one real picture book — cover to certificate. Print it, staple the left edge, done in an afternoon.
- ·A grown-up page with the 5 steps that keep kids from stalling
- ·Cover sheet with title and author lines
- ·Character sheet — invent the hero before the plot
- ·Story planner: beginning, problem, ending
- ·8 story pages: drawing frame + handwriting rules
- ·About-the-author page and a published-author certificate
24 Bedtime Story Prompt Cards
Cut once, use for years. A dragon scared of the dark, a library book 100 years overdue, shoes that walked off without you — prompts that actually start an argument about what happens next.
- ·24 cut-out cards, 4 to a sheet
- ·Every card has a title and a follow-up question
- ·Three ways to play: tell it, write it, or draw two and mash them together
- ·Works at bedtime, in the car, or as a classroom writing warm-up
How to get the most out of them
Read one first
Children write better after hearing a model. There are 31 finished picture books to read free, no sign-up, on the template books page.
Draw the card, then plan
Pull a prompt card, fill in the character sheet and the three-sentence planner, and the blank page stops being scary.
Don't let drawing end it
If the illustration is where they quit, describe the story at Doodara instead, print it, and finish the kit around it.
Free reading material to pair with the kits: 31 ready-made picture books and book lists by topic — bedtime, starting kindergarten, a new sibling, the dentist.
Terms of use
Yes: print and photocopy freely for your home, classroom, library, or homeschool co-op. Share this page with anyone. Bloggers and teachers are welcome to feature the kits — a link back to this page is all we ask.
Please don't: re-host the PDF files elsewhere, sell them, or remove the footer. Linking here means everyone gets the current version.
Questions
Do I have to sign up or give an email address?
No. Both PDFs download directly from this page — no account, no email wall, no newsletter signup.
Can I use these in my classroom or co-op?
Yes. You may print and photocopy them as many times as you need for your own home, classroom, library, or homeschool co-op, free of charge. Please link to this page rather than re-hosting the PDF files, so people always get the current version.
What paper size should I choose?
Every kit comes in US Letter and A4. Print single-sided on plain paper; the prompt cards hold up better on card stock, but plain paper works fine.
What if my child has the story but gives up on the drawing?
That's the most common place kids stall. They can describe the story instead and have it illustrated free at Doodara, print the result, and keep working through the kit from there — the kit and the tool are designed to be used together, but each works alone.
Or let them describe it and see it illustrated
Doodara turns a child's story idea into a fully illustrated picture book with the same character on every page — free to try, right in your browser.