What you should really look for in children's book creation software
Children's book creation software is a digital tool that lets you combine text, illustrations, and layout to produce a book that's ready to print or publish. Some tools are aimed at designers, others at parents with no graphic design background. The right choice depends on what you want to do: a book to give as a gift, to print at home, or to sell online.
Before comparing tools, ask yourself two questions:
- Do you need to create the illustrations yourself, or do you want them generated automatically?
- Are you going for a "homemade" feel, or a professional print-ready result?
Comparing the main tools
| Criterion | MakerBook | Canva | Book Creator | Adobe Express | Wonderbly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI illustrations | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| No design skills needed | Yes | Partial | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Story customization | Yes | No | No | No | Limited |
| Print-ready PDF export | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Amazon KDP publishing | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | No |
| English language | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Starting price | Subscription | Free/Pro | Free/Pro | Free/Pro | Per unit |
Canva: versatile but limited for children's books
Canva is excellent for layout. You can create beautiful pages, choose fonts, and insert images. But it doesn't generate consistent illustrations from one page to the next — and that's the core problem for an illustrated children's book. You can import your own visuals, but if you can't draw and don't have the budget for an illustrator, Canva quickly hits its limits.
Best for: people who already have their illustrations and just want to put the book together.
Book Creator: great for digital versions
Book Creator is designed for teachers and children themselves. The interface is simple, and the ePub export works well. That said, the print version is less polished, and there's no automatic content generation whatsoever. You start from a blank page.
Best for: educators who want to create interactive digital books in the classroom.
Adobe Express: powerful but technical
Adobe Express delivers real layout quality and polished templates. The catch? The learning curve is steeper, and it's still a general-purpose tool. There are no "children's book" specific features and no visual consistency between pages.
Best for: creatives who are already comfortable with Adobe tools.
Wonderbly: beautiful but locked down
Wonderbly (formerly Lost My Name) offers stunning personalized books with the child's name woven into a pre-written story. The finish is professional. But you can't create your own story — you choose from their fixed templates, and the book is only available as a one-off purchase, not for independent publishing.
Best for: giving a one-time gift without wanting to create your own content.
MakerBook: from story to illustrations in one single tool
MakerBook is built specifically for creating AI-illustrated children's books. You write your story (or get help structuring it), and the tool generates consistent illustrations in the same visual style throughout the entire book. The result exports as a print-ready PDF, including for Amazon KDP.
It's the most suitable tool if you're starting from scratch — no artistic talent, no illustrator budget — and you want a professional-quality book. You can explore the available features and compare plans on the pricing page.
The criteria that really make the difference
Visual consistency across pages
This is the number-one challenge when creating an illustrated book. If every page looks different, the book loses all its charm. General-purpose tools (Canva, Adobe Express) give you templates, but you're the one responsible for keeping things consistent. Specialized tools like MakerBook handle that automatically.
Export quality and print readiness
Not all tools export with the correct margins for printing. A file designed for screen and a print-ready file are very different things. Before choosing your tool, make sure it exports as a 300 DPI PDF with bleed — especially if you want to publish on Amazon KDP.
Ownership of rights
A question that's often overlooked: who owns the generated illustrations? Some platforms retain rights over creations made on their platform. With MakerBook, everything you create belongs to you. Always read the terms of service before choosing a tool, especially if you plan to sell your book.
The right tool for your project
You want to give a unique book to a child → MakerBook or Wonderbly. MakerBook if you want an original story, Wonderbly if you want a ready-made gift based on an existing story. You want to sell your book online or on Amazon → MakerBook or Canva. A professional PDF export is essential. Make sure you're comfortable with KDP layout requirements. You're a teacher and want to create with your students → Book Creator is made for that. You already have your illustrations and just want to lay out the book → Canva gets the job done.To see how MakerBook works in practice, the quick start guide walks you through the whole process in just a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free software for creating a children's book?
Canva and Book Creator both offer functional free versions. Canva is better for layout, Book Creator for interactive digital books. Neither generates illustrations automatically — if that's what you're looking for, you'll need a specialized platform like MakerBook.
Can you create a children's book without knowing how to draw?
Yes, and that's exactly why tools with AI illustration generation exist. You provide the text and the broad visual direction, and the tool creates the illustrations. The result is consistent and professional, with zero artistic skills required.
What software should I use to publish on Amazon KDP?
You need a tool that exports a high-resolution PDF (300 DPI) with the correct dimensions and bleed. Canva, Adobe Express, and MakerBook all handle this type of export. Check Amazon KDP's technical specifications before finalizing your file.
Do I own the rights to illustrations created with AI software?
It depends on each platform's terms of use. With MakerBook, your creations belong to you. With other tools, rights may be shared or restricted. Always read the terms of service, especially if you plan to sell your book commercially.
