> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://doodara.gitbook.io/doodara-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://doodara.gitbook.io/doodara-docs/templates-and-characters/put-your-child-in-the-story.md).

# Put your child in the story

Doodara can build a recurring character from a single photo and keep that character consistent across every page of a book. This is the feature most people come for, so it is worth understanding what it actually does.

## What it does

You upload one clear photo of a face. The AI designs a **storybook character inspired by that photo** — hair, colouring, general shape, the overall impression — rendered in whichever art style you picked. It then uses that character design as the reference for every page, so the same child appears on page one and page ten without drifting into a different-looking kid halfway through.

## What it does not do

It is not a portrait, and it is not a face swap. A watercolor picture book character will not be photorealistically your child, and it should not be — a photorealistic face inside a painted illustration looks wrong. Expect *recognisably them*, in the style of the book.

## Getting a good result

* **One face, well lit, looking at the camera.** Group photos confuse it. So do sunglasses, hats pulled low, heavy shadow, and extreme angles.
* **Close enough to see the face clearly.** A child as a small figure in a wide landscape shot gives the AI very little to work with.
* **Neutral or smiling.** Mid-yell and mid-blink are hard to build a character from.
* **Recent.** The character will resemble the photo, so use a photo of the child as they look now.

## The confirmation step

In the [template book](https://www.doodara.com/template-books) flow, the character is generated and shown to you *before* the book is painted. If it is not right, regenerate it — you get a limited number of tries — and only confirm when you are happy. It is much cheaper to retry the character than to repaint a whole book.

## Reusing a character

With an account, characters are saved. The same child can star in book after book without re-uploading anything, and you can build a small cast — siblings, a pet, a best friend — and reuse them together.

In Studio (professional mode), a character is called an **IP**: a self-contained character universe that can generate unlimited stories. Create the character once, then write as many books around them as you like.

## Photo privacy

Photos are stored privately, used only to illustrate your book, and never sold, shared, or used to train AI models. Location metadata is stripped before upload. Delete a character and its photo goes with it. Only upload photos of your own child.

## Where to start

* Fastest path: pick a [template book](https://www.doodara.com/template-books) and upload one photo.
* Free-form: add a character photo in the [creator](https://www.doodara.com/create) alongside your story prompt.


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