By Joy Joseph
Google’s new feature, Storybook, within the Gemini app, which generates short narratives from user prompts and images, is targeting approximately 39 million children aged six and under. This new app turns simple prompts and personal images into unique, narrated stories.
According to Google, the launch provides a powerful new creative tool in Nigeria, a country with a rich and deep-rooted tradition of storytelling. The need for engaging and accessible educational content is more critical than ever, even as Storybook is designed to help bridge this gap by empowering anyone to create personalised learning experiences.
Commenting on this development, the Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Google in West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, said, “In a country with such a vibrant history passing down knowledge through stories, Storybook feels like a natural evolution.
His words, “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.”
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.
“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. 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,” Kola-Ogunlade noted.
Google noted that this offers a new creative outlet for Nigerian families, allowing them to craft everything from educational tales about local culture to funny stories for friends and personalised gifts for loved ones.
