Create Illustrated Storybooks With Read-Aloud Narration Using Gemini’s New Storybook Feature

Google has rolled out a new quality-of-life update for its Gemini chatbot, introducing a Storybook feature designed to help users create custom illustrated books using Artificial Intelligence. Announced on Tuesday, the new capability allows Gemini to generate visually rich storybooks based on simple text prompts, uploaded images, or even documents. The feature is primarily aimed at young children, especially those who enjoy bedtime stories, but Google says it can also be useful in educational settings.

With this update, users can instruct Gemini to create an illustrated storybook by defining the theme, characters, narrative style, and even the artistic direction of the visuals. The Mountain View–based tech giant has made the feature available globally to all users, including those on the free tier, across both the Gemini website and mobile applications.

Gemini Can Generate Storybooks Using Text Prompts and Uploaded Images

Google detailed the new Storybook functionality in a blog post, explaining that users can begin by typing prompts such as “Create a storybook” or “Generate a storybook,” followed by details like the story’s topic and the intended age group of the reader. Users can further refine the output by specifying the setting, naming characters, defining key plot points, and selecting the visual style of the illustrations.

The Storybook feature supports a wide range of artistic styles, including pixel art, comic-style illustrations, claymation-inspired visuals, crochet designs, and even coloring-book formats. According to Google, Gemini can generate storybooks in up to 45 languages, with each book containing a maximum of 10 pages.

Each page follows a consistent layout, with the story text displayed on the right side and a corresponding AI-generated illustration on the left. This format is intended to make the reading experience more engaging and intuitive for young readers.

For users who prefer listening over reading, Gemini’s Storybook feature also includes a read-aloud narration option. The narration uses an AI-generated voice that clearly reads the text on each page. However, Google notes that this voice is more synthetic in nature and differs from the more natural-sounding voice used in Gemini Live.

Gemini Storybook layout showcases AI-generated illustrations paired with narrative text.

During internal testing, staff members at Gadgets 360 were able to create a complete illustrated storybook within minutes. The AI successfully generated a title page, ten pages of story content, and matching artwork. Importantly, the chatbot closely followed all prompt instructions, including genre, setting, specific objects, and narrative tone.

The visuals produced during testing did not show common AI issues such as distortions or hallucinations, suggesting that Google has placed a strong emphasis on image consistency and quality for this feature.

Google also highlighted that users can upload their own images to personalize the storybooks further. For example, parents can include photos of their children and instruct Gemini to incorporate them into the illustrations instead of generic characters. Similarly, users can upload a written story and ask Gemini to convert it into a fully illustrated book.

Beyond bedtime storytelling, Google believes the Storybook feature can serve as an educational tool. Teachers and parents can use it to explain complex subjects from school syllabi in a more engaging, visual format that is easier for young students to understand.

With the introduction of the Storybook feature, Gemini continues to expand beyond a traditional chatbot, positioning itself as a creative and educational assistant that blends storytelling, visuals, and audio into a single, child-friendly experience.