Illustrations created by Midjourney AI
My friend Michael is an experienced creative director with an impressive design background. He was asked to help on a personal project: to design a book for a friend’s teenage daughter who was born with cerebral palsy.
The disability has been a lifelong struggle for her; especially in school where ‘being different’ can mean you’re left out of games and play. Specifically, Michael was asked to help create a book for kids who suffer from being different.
Problem: Michael is not a copywriter. So, he led a brainstorm (father, daughter and Michael) and came up with a character and a basic outline. Simon the Limon is a funny looking fruit. Half lemon half lime, he lives in the grocery store where he tries desperately to make friends with the other produce. He meets rejection until he finds the berries. They welcome Simon, and he discovers that being different isn’t so bad after all. The story ends with an admonition to always be nice and you’ll find friends who accept you.
Michael turned to Chat GPT for the narrative. What he got back was a few paragraphs that seemed to work but missed any real heart. So he asked it to turn the story into a rhyme. The response came back in 30 seconds. A few of the lines worked, but the meter was off, and certain words used to complete the rhyme were a disconnect.
The ending was also disappointing. It’s simply an admonition to be kind. Anyone who has experienced bullying knows that doesn’t work. Simon the Limon had to accept what made him different and find friends in spite of it.
Finally, Michael invited me into the picture, essentially to see if I could add a more human voice to the story and make the verse work.
Here’s how it went…
Simon the Limon by Chat GPT
In the grocery store lived a fruit named Simon
Half lemon, half lime, he was quite uncommon
But the other produce, they didn’t understand
They thought Simon was odd,
And so they’d disband
The bananas would snicker and turn up their nose
The applies would gossip and put on their shows
The oranges would smile but look the other way
Simon felt all alone day after day
One day he approached the bananas with cheer
“Hey, want to play a game my dear?”
But the bananas just laughed and walked away
Simon was left standing with nothing to say
He tried with the apples, he tried with the pears
But they were too busy, they didn’t seem to care
Even the oranges, who were usually kind,
Just gave him a smile and left him behind
Simon was feeling down with no friends to share
But then he saw berries who looked like they didn’t care
Simon walked over and said, “Hi, I’m Simon the Limon”
And the berries replied, “Hey Simon, come on in”
The berries were friendly; they welcomed him with glee
They said, “We’ve always wanted to be friends with thee”
They played and laughed and had a great time
Simon had found friends that were truly sublime
Simon didn’t mind that the others didn’t see
How great he was and how happy he could be
Because he had found true friendship with the berries
Who saw him for who he was and not his worries
So remember my friends, be kind and true
And you’ll find that people will love you
Don’t be afraid to be different and unique
Because true friends will always seek
The End
My version of Simon the Limon
Simon the Limon was an interesting fruit
Half lemon half lime, people found him quite cute
But the other fruits and veggies said he didn’t fit in
They preferred their own friends and excluded him
The bananas snickered at his color and shape
The apples cried, “Let’s make our escape!!”
The oranges smiled but stuck with their own
So time after time, Simon sat there alone
One day things were slow in the produce aisle
So Simon approached with a welcoming smile
To the bananas he said, “Let’s play a game’
“No,” they replied, “you’re so lame.”
The oranges laughed and rolled away
Simon was left there with nothing to say
He tried with the apples, he tried with the pears
But they were too busy; they just didn’t care
Even the grapefruit, who were usually kind
Replied with a shrug, leaving Simon behind
“I wish I had friends; I’m feeling so down”
Then laughter erupted from a new group in town
“We’re the berries,” they shouted with glee
“Come pay us a visit; we’ll have fun, you’ll see”
Simon approached; he had nothing to lose
“I’m Simon the Limon, how do you do?
“The grapes and berries welcomed him in
It’s time to have fun”, they said, “Let’s begin
They played, they laughed and had a great time
Simon found friends that where truly sublime
He said “I don’t mind that the others can’t see
How fun I am and what friendship can be”
So remember it's best to be kind and true
And you’ll find the ones who truly love you
Being different , of course, was a challenge for Simon
But he found fun and friends
Being a limon!
The moral of the story?
So is AI tomorrow’s alpha trendsetter?
I gotta say, I think mine is better
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