New Gemini feature will allow you turn texts, photos, kids’ drawings into custom storybooks

Yesterday, Google introduced Storybook, a feature within the Gemini app that generates short, narrated stories from user prompts and images. This launch provides a powerful new creative tool in Nigeria, a country with a rich and deep-rooted tradition of storytelling.

With a young population that includes approximately 39 million children aged six and under, the need for engaging and accessible educational content is more critical than ever. Storybook is designed to help bridge this gap by empowering anyone to create personalised learning experiences.

“In a country with such a vibrant history of passing down knowledge through stories, Storybook feels like a natural evolution,” said Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communications & Public Affairs Manager for Google in West Africa.

“It addresses a real need for parents and educators who are looking for fresh ways to captivate the minds of our youngest learners. The challenge is often making education interactive and personal. Storybook allows you to place a child directly at the centre of their learning adventure, which is key to holding their attention and helping them grasp new concepts”, Taiwo adds.

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Storybook works as a creative partner. You describe a story, add a photo of your daughter and her favourite toy, and it generates a 10-page illustrated tale about them. Or, you can upload a drawing your son made and ask Gemini to bring his creation to life in a story.

Each book is complete with unique page-by-page illustrations and a narrator’s voice. Storybooks are especially useful for the following:

1. Help your child understand a complex topic: For example, you can create a story that explains the solar system to your 5-year-old.
2. Teach a lesson through storytelling: For example, you can teach a 7-year-old boy about the importance of being kind to his little brother. If your son loves elephants, you can make the main character an elephant.
3. Bring personal artwork to life: You can upload an image of a kid’s drawing and modify this example prompt for your use case: “This is my kid’s drawing. He’s 7 years old. Write a creative storybook that brings his drawing to life.”
4. Turn memories into magical stories: You can upload photos from your family trip to Paris and create a personalised adventure.

“Storytelling is fundamental to how we connect and learn. We wanted to see what happens when you give people a simple way to author their narratives,” Kola-Ogunlade continued.

“The interesting part isn’t the AI; it’s the personal expression it enables. A father can explain his job to his daughter by turning his resume into an adventure, or a family can relive a holiday through a new story. It’s a canvas for those small, personal moments that are the foundation of early education”, added.

This offers a new creative outlet for Nigerian families, enabling them to craft everything from educational tales about local culture to humorous stories for friends and personalised gifts for loved ones.

To check it out, open the Storybook feature on the Gemini app and describe a story. For a more personal touch, upload an image, a photo, a drawing, or a document and include it in your prompt.