Years ago I wrote a blog post titled "October Christmas tree, why not?"
I stand by it.
I wasn't like this as a kid. It happened later. As an adult, the stretch around Christmas and New Year's turned into the quietest part of my year. People stop needing things from you. The emails slow down. Once I noticed that, I started loving everything attached to it. The lights, the music, the absurdly early start.
Sami does not share this enthusiasm. One December, at a Christmas market in Biarritz, a woman at one of the stalls switched on a singing reindeer just for him, because he was so cute. He looked at it the way he looks at anything that isn't food. Polite. Unconvinced.
Your dog might be a better audience.
Miruna and I made a site with illustrated storybooks where YOUR dog is the main character. A real 30-page hardcover, your dog on every page, your dog's name in the title. This month we added four Christmas stories:
Your dog and The Night Before Christmas. Christmas Eve, the whole house asleep, and your dog keeps watch alone until morning. The quiet one. Built for bedtime.
Your dog and Santa Claus. Someone is coming down the chimney. Your dog is head of security.
Your dog and The Christmas Tree. There is suddenly a tree in the house, covered in shiny things your dog is never allowed to touch. An investigation follows. Clue one. Clue two. Clue three.
Your dog and The Christmas Stockings. All year it's "Drop it." "Not the sock." "Where did you even FIND that?" Then one night the humans hang socks up on purpose and fill them with treats.
Sami's copies. Yours would have your dog on the cover, with your dog's name.
You upload one photo, pick a story, and see the whole book before you pay anything.
One practical note, and it's the reason I'm writing in October. These are printed and shipped, so if you want one for Christmas, order by December 1st.
Bobby (and Sami)
P.S. If it's for a kid, the child's name goes into the story too, and the first page is a dedication you write yourself.