Shoebox to Storybook shows you what to ask, how to keep track of what you hear, and how to turn photos and stories into a family book. Start with one photo this week.
That’s the whole idea. Do it twelve times and you have the first edition of your family storybook, with a timeline and a who’s who at the back.
From the box, the album or the drawer. A cheerful, ordinary photo is the best place to start.
Of a parent, a grandparent, an old family friend, or yourself. Jot the answers on a Photo Story Sheet.
A short story with its photo and caption, written by hand on a template or laid out by the Story Page Maker.
Most people can make a page in one sitting of about an hour. Twelve pages = a book.
Pick up any old photo and ask these, in order. They’re the heart of the kit, and they’re yours to use whether or not you buy anything.
Names, nicknames and how everyone is related. And who was behind the camera?
Then try“What was she (or he) like back then?” · “Who is missing from this picture?”
The place, the year, the season. A best guess is fine. Just add a question mark.
Then try“What makes you think it was then?” · “What else was happening in your life that year?”
The occasion, the day, and what happened just before the picture was taken.
Then try“Whose idea was this?” · “Why was everyone there?”
What the photo doesn’t show: the sounds, the smells, the weather, who was standing just out of sight.
Then try“What could you hear?” · “What happened right after?”
What this moment means now, and what someone in the family should know about it a hundred years from now.
Then try“What would you want a great-grandchild to know?” · “Is there a word or saying that goes with this picture?”
These are real pages from the kit. Select any of them to look closer.
The method in plain language, start to finish. Make your first page in the first few pages, then dip in as you need it.
6 sample pages · select to enlarge
The tools that keep a family project organized, designed to print at home again and again.
5 sample pages · select to enlarge
Type a story, add a scanned photo, and it lays out a finished page for you. Print at home, or save a PDF to send to relatives or a print shop.
Pages from the example book · select to enlarge
“I want to save our stories, but I don’t know what to ask, how to organize the answers, or how to turn it all into something we can keep.” The kit takes each one in turn.
What to ask, and how to ask so people tell stories instead of reciting facts.
Simple ways to keep track of stories, photos, people and dates, without a filing system.
Turn notes into story pages, then plan, print and share the book.
Claire asked her mother about an old lake photo, using the five questions. Her notes went on a Photo Story Sheet. Here’s what they became.
The Hale and Anders families are fictional, invented to show the method. The “photos” are illustrations.
Memories can be tender, and families are complicated. The kit is built so the storyteller stays in charge.
Every conversation starts with “you can skip anything.” There are Pass cards in the question deck, and a gentle chapter on hard memories and memory loss.
Four simple marks keep what you know apart from what you think, so future readers can trust the book.
Mark every story, then print a family edition that leaves out anything not for sharing.
The Story Page Maker runs on your own computer, with no account and no internet connection needed. Your photos never leave your computer.
The guide shows you how to keep the teller’s own words, and what to watch for if you use transcription or AI tools.
Secure checkout on Gumroad. Gumroad may show the price in your local currency (you can switch back to US dollars) and adds any sales tax or VAT that applies where you live. A tip field at checkout is optional.
Buying for someone else? Choose “Give as a gift” at checkout and enter their email address.
No. It’s a digital kit: PDFs you print at home (or at a print shop) and a Story Page Maker that runs in your web browser. Nothing is shipped. What you make with it can become a printed book.
The Guide (45 pages), the Printable Pages & Question Cards (30 pages), each in US Letter and A4, and the Story Page Maker, a single file that opens in your browser.
Yes. You’re collecting stories, not writing a novel. Each page is short, about what you’d say telling the story over dinner, and the guide walks you through a complete example before you start.
No. Print pages one at a time as you need them. Many people print a few Photo Story Sheets and the question cards, and do the rest in the Story Page Maker.
For the PDFs, no: any device that opens PDFs will do, plus a printer for paper copies. The Story Page Maker needs a Windows computer, Mac or Chromebook with a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox. It isn’t designed for phones or tablets.
No. The Story Page Maker works on your own computer, without an internet connection or an account. Your work is kept in your browser on that computer, and you can save a backup file whenever you like. The kit itself never asks you to upload anything.
Often, yes. Many people with memory problems can still share memories from long ago, especially with photos to help. The guide has a short, gentle section on keeping visits short, not quizzing and enjoying the time together. It isn’t medical advice; their care team may have suggestions too.
Most people can make a page in one sitting of about an hour. The guide suggests aiming for twelve stories for a first edition, which is a few weekends of work spread over as long as you like.
For personal and family use. Print as many copies as your family needs. Please don’t resell the kit or post the files publicly. Working on one family’s book together is exactly what it’s for. The free Photo Story Starter can be shared with anyone.
Yes. At checkout, choose “Give as a gift” and enter the recipient’s email address. They’ll receive the download link.
If the kit isn’t right for you, ask for a full refund within 30 days of purchase by replying to your Gumroad receipt email. You don’t need to explain or return anything. Refunds are made through Gumroad to your original payment method.
Partly, and we’d rather say so. The instructions, questions and example pages were written and designed with the help of AI tools, then reviewed and edited. The example family is fictional. The Story Page Maker doesn’t use AI, and the stories you add are yours alone.
Reply to your Gumroad receipt email. If a file won’t download or open, we’ll help or resend it.
Start with one photo this week. Your first page takes about an hour.