How I Used AI To Create My Childrens Book
Matthew Harris’ “Idiomania” explores the use of figurative language, pairing text with AI-generated art. Image courtesy Matthew Harris
It has always been a goal of mine to publish a book. I’ve loved to write for as long as I can remember and have always felt that pull to see my own words in print. While I was featured in a few poetry anthologies when I was younger, and that scratched part of the itch, it wasn't the whole shebang. They weren’t my own. But now, I’ve finally done it. I have written a children’s book of my own, with the help of somewhat controversial modern technology.
The Spark for Idiomania
The idea for my kids’ book, “Idiomania,” came from my own time as an English teacher. I’ve always had a fascination with figurative language and often implemented activities centered around them in my lessons. For those who haven't been in an English class for a while, idioms are phrases with meanings that can’t be determined by simply reading the words—common expressions like “it’s raining cats and dogs” and “in a jam.”
When I was in college, I played around with my favorite idioms for a creative-writing assignment. It was my teacher in that class who first suggested I should turn the idea into a book. So, when I decided to finally write one, I centered my book around idioms. Books like Jon Agee’s “Go Hang a Salami! I’m a Lasagna Hog! And Other Palindromes” also served as inspiration, especially when it came to writing about figurative language for kids. But as much as rhythmic language and catchy phrases might allure a kid, every children’s book lives and dies by its pictures.
Matthew Harris included interactive worksheets on idioms to further educate children on their use. Image courtesy Matthew Harris
An Unexpected AI Collaboration
If you flip open a copy of “Idiomania,” you may notice that artificial-intelligence tools ChatGPT and Dall-E are credited for the book’s illustrations. While many people consider AI-generated images a lazy choice when it comes to book art, a lot of deliberation actually went into the choice to use the technology.
Initially, I intended to use a traditional artist, but I didn’t want to send them the manuscript without some concept of what I wanted the pictures to look like. Since I’m certainly no artist, I asked ChatGPT to design the mockups. My publisher loved the samples and suggested I clean them up and let those serve as the book’s final images.
A Teachable Moment with Technology
While I liked the images that AI created, I still wanted to publish my book in the traditional way. But then I had a realization: book production has always adapted to changes in technology—from the invention of the printing press in the 15th century to the advent of personal computers and the internet. Books are supposed to teach us something, especially children’s books, so why not use AI to teach about AI? Instead of replacing my AI images, I followed my publisher’s suggestion and cleaned the images up—mostly.
The back cover of "Idiomania," featuring AI-generated art to encourage critical thinking. Image courtesy Matthew Harris
I intentionally left some AI errors for my young readers to find. By doing this, I invite children to explore and question the accuracy of the AI-generated images in the book, in the same way adults must do when we see images and videos online. The AI challenge rounds out a set of interactive elements at the back of the book, which also includes worksheets and other learning tools.
Connecting Creativity with a Career in Tech
Using AI also helped me expand my skills for my job. I work as an instructor for Mississippi Coding Academies, a free coding education program targeting people from all walks of life. With help from funders like the Walton Family Foundation, MCA focuses on upskilling Mississippi residents for careers in the tech field. With the AI boom, we have also entered the Mississippi AI Collaborative, a statewide initiative with a similar mission but a narrower focus on AI.
When I look back on it, the decision to use AI-generated images aligns perfectly with the spirit of “Idiomania” and my work training people to code. The book explores the quirks and playfulness of the English language, so pairing that with an unconventional creative process was the “icing on the cake.” While I didn’t have the experience of working with a human illustrator this time, I got the opportunity to explore emerging tools and reimagine how stories can be told. I feel joy when I hold “Idiomania” in my hand and a sense of pride that I “went out on a limb” and tried something different.
About the Author
Matthew Harris is a newly published children’s author from Batesville, Mississippi. A former English teacher and current coding instructor, Matthew is a lifelong learner inspired by his mother’s love for writing and his late papaw’s knack for storytelling. His tales draw on his colorful life, and when he’s not writing or teaching, he’s often strumming his guitar, cooking for friends, or sharing a story with anyone who’ll listen.
