Guide
How to write a storybook, step by step
Making a book takes a few minutes and one good sentence. Here's how it goes, and some prompts you can borrow for Year 2.
- Step 1
Describe the lesson in your own words
Say what you are teaching and who to, exactly as you would tell a colleague. “I want my Year 2 class to understand why we wash our hands.” No special wording needed.
- Step 2
Answer a couple of questions
TeacherTell may ask the age of your class, how many pages you want and the tone. If you'd rather not decide, say “you choose” and it uses sensible defaults — ages 6-8, eight pages, warm and gentle.
- Step 3
Watch the pages appear
Each page is written for young readers and given its own illustration. They show up one by one on the right of the screen while you wait.
- Step 4
Change anything you like
Edit the words on a page and save it, or press “New picture” to have that illustration drawn again. You can also ask in the chat: “make page 3 simpler” or “add a page about drying hands”.
- Step 5
Use it with your class
Read it full screen on the whiteboard, download it as a PDF to print, send a link to a colleague, or publish it to the community for other teachers.
What to include
Five things worth saying
- The topic — the water cycle, kindness, materials
- Who it's for — the year group or ages
- How many pages — six to ten works well
- The tone — warm and gentle, funny, calm
- The one idea children should leave with
Example prompts
Ready to borrow — Year 2 topics
The water cycle
“My Year 2 class is learning about the water cycle. Make an eight page story following a raindrop from the sea to a cloud and back down again, warm and gentle, with one clear idea per page.”
Materials and their uses
“A Year 2 story about why we make things from different materials — wood, glass, metal, plastic. Eight pages, a curious child testing which material suits each job.”
Plants and growing
“Year 2, plants. Eight pages showing what a seed needs to grow — soil, water, light, time — through a child looking after a sunflower across the seasons.”
Healthy habits and handwashing
“I want my Year 2 class to understand why we wash our hands. Six pages, gentle and a little funny, ending with the twenty-second rule.”
Kindness and sharing
“A Year 2 story about sharing when it's hard. Eight pages, two friends and one last biscuit, warm tone, no telling-off.”
Minibeasts and habitats
“Year 2 minibeast hunt. Eight pages exploring where woodlice, worms, snails and bees live and why those homes suit them.”
The Great Fire of London
“The Great Fire of London for Year 2. Eight pages, calm not frightening, showing how the fire started, spread and how London was rebuilt.”
Seasons and weather
“Year 2, the four seasons. Eight pages following the same tree through a year, with the weather and what the children wear changing each page.”
Science sparks
Thirty big questions children love
Every one of these turns into a storybook. Copy a prompt, then tell TeacherTell your year group and how many pages you want.
Forces & motion
Gravity
“Why do things fall down? Why doesn't the Moon fall onto Earth? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Forces & motion
Floating and sinking
“Why does a huge ship float while a tiny coin sinks? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Forces & motion
Pushes and pulls
“What makes a toy car move, stop, or change direction? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Forces & motion
Friction
“Why is it easier to slide on ice than on carpet? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Forces & motion
Magnets
“What do magnets attract, what don't they, and why can magnets push each other away? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Matter
Air is matter
“Air is invisible, but does it take up space? Show the upside-down cup experiment. A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Matter
States of matter
“Solid, liquid, gas — what happens when ice melts or water boils? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Matter
Density
“Why does oil sit on top of water? Why do some objects float? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Matter
Chemical reactions
“What is happening when baking soda and vinegar fizz? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Matter
Surface tension
“How can some insects walk on water? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Matter
Heat transfer
“Why does a metal spoon feel colder than a wooden spoon in the same room? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Light, sound & electricity
Light and shadows
“Why do shadows change size? Can light bend or bounce? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Light, sound & electricity
Sound and vibration
“Why does a guitar string make a sound? Can you see vibrations? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Light, sound & electricity
Electricity and circuits
“How can a battery, wire, and bulb make light? What happens when the circuit is broken? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Light, sound & electricity
Simple machines
“Levers, pulleys, wheels, ramps — how do they help us do less work? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Living things
Plants and photosynthesis
“What does a plant actually need to grow? Where does most of a tree's mass come from? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Living things
Seed dispersal
“Why do some seeds fly, float, stick to animals, or get eaten? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Living things
Food chains
“Where does the energy in our food ultimately come from? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Living things
Animal adaptations
“Why do polar bears have thick fur? Why do ducks have webbed feet? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Living things
Habitats and ecosystems
“What happens if one animal disappears from an ecosystem? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Living things
Human body systems
“Why does your heart beat faster when you run? What happens to food after you swallow it? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Living things
Germs and microorganisms
“Why does washing with soap work better than just rinsing with water? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Earth & space
Weather
“Where do clouds come from? Why does it rain? What causes wind? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Earth & space
The water cycle
“How can the same water keep moving between oceans, clouds, rivers, and us? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Earth & space
Earth's rotation
“Why do we have day and night? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Earth & space
The solar system
“Why is a year 365 days? Why does the Moon appear to change shape? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Earth & space
Rocks and erosion
“How can water slowly carve valleys and reshape mountains? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Earth & space
Dinosaurs and fossils
“How do scientists know about animals that lived millions of years ago? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
How science works
Engineering and structures
“Why are triangles often used in bridges? What makes a tower stable? A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
How science works
Scientific thinking
“How do we know something is true? Follow a character who makes a prediction, tests it, observes what happens, and changes their idea. A story for my class, eight pages, warm and curious, one clear idea per page.”
Try one of these today
Copy a prompt, paste it into the chat and watch the book take shape.
Start a book