Wonderful stories.
An experiment in putting generative AI to work for something I care about.
AI-assistedOrion the Little Dragon · Ages 3–5
Orion and the Hunt for His Spark
Two stories of curiosity, kindness, and discovery
Orion is a little purple dragon who wants to breathe fire. But all that comes out is a cold puff and a sneeze. With his mother’s encouragement, he becomes a fire detective: watching, asking questions, and wondering what fire needs. Then, on a cold night, his friend Pip needs his help.
In the second story, the wind carries a treasured leaf out of reach, and the two friends must combine what each can do.
The story behind the stories
How it was made
From the English preface
Since my son was born, more than four years ago now, I have tried to encourage him to read and to exercise his curiosity and imagination. We do not just read; we also create our own stories, drawing on material from our lives and a child’s way of seeing. It was in this way that, on a visit to an observatory, he learned about the constellation Orion, and shortly afterwards gave that name to a purple dragon we had invented — a story was born.
A year or two ago, it might have remained a story we only told aloud, or at most wrote down. Today, however, with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), I was able to bring the character to life in the form most suited to his own creator: a picture book. I have always believed in computing as a way of expanding our minds, so I could not let the opportunity pass. But not without effort: it took many attempts to arrive at the form you see here. I am well aware of the questionable results AI can produce when used without care. This book was made as an experiment to find out how far we can now go by using this technology well.
Paulo Salem · September 2026