Go! Go! Gecko

This story is dedicated to….

Trevelyan, Kylie, Arlo and Zachary

They are the real Edwards’ family who live in Darwin. They inspired the ‘Go! Go! Gecko’ story. Decades ago, the Dad, Trevelyan imagined ‘There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake’, when he was four. Mum Kylie helped check details. Grandma Hazel wrote ‘Go! Go! Gecko’ as a birthday gift for her Darwin grandsons and used family photos of the real children as illustrations. But this version is in A.I. rather than photos to protect the online privacy of the children involved.

Why ‘Go! Go! Gecko’ was Created Using A.I. as a Case study.

As a grandmother of four, Hazel Edwards has always written personal stories for birthdays of each grandson , as a gift of the imagination, but using family photos in bound book format.Occasionally the children have drawn their own illustrations.

‘Go!Go! Gecko’ is innovative. Although initially written for her two Darwin-based grandsons, the tropical story subsequently had commercial appeal internationally. Producer Lisa Loh wanted to do a 2D version and also translate into Indonesian.

The use of A.I. in family created stories online is a kind of privacy protection for young children’s cyber safety, so their real photos are not used. The ethical and commercial use of A.I. and payment for creators is a different issue. Hazel participated in this case-study to explore options and support Lisa Loh’s need for accessible books for her son.

Author: Hazel Edwards
Publisher: LLKR Pty Ltd t/as MindGlow Lab
Audience: Children
Editor: Kylie Edwards
Illustrator: Lisa Loh

Format: Kindle Edition

Visit these online retailers for copies available now – just click through on the direct link and you can purchase online:

- Amazon

Admittedly, Literacy ambassador Hazel is an experienced educator -author and Lisa is a producer, but any family can share memories in this way, as well as helping young readers.
Relevant for grandparents wishing to keep in touch with remote family as can read together on screen. Or write their own personally relevant stories.
Dual language and different mediums. Relevant for other tropical countries with gecko.
Online, families can have reading dates in different time zones. Each has access to the story, together.
Children can illustrate the text written with adults in family or use photos for limited edition private books. A.I. cartoon style is privacy protection for young children.
Few tropically based stories with wildlife such as geckos in simple language for beginning readers.
Hazel and Lisa have learnt from this A.I. experiment but still believe originators should be recompensed. And so important to have the experience of creating, not just copying.

by Hazel Edwards (Author), Lisa Loh (Illustrator), Kylie Edwards (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition

Go! Go! Gecko follows a young child who befriends a playful gecko that hides around their home, from the mailbox to the bathroom. Together, they discover the joys of hide-and-seek, learning, and even building a special gecko home with family as they prepare for the Dry Season.

Created by Australian author Hazel Edwards, best known for There’s a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake, Go! Go! Gecko began as a personalized story for her grandsons, inspired by family experiences and quirky gecko sightings. Lovingly brought to life by Lisa Loh using cutting-edge AI tools, this tale celebrates connection and adventure in the tropical community of Darwin.

A.I. usage is controversial but ‘Creating Family Stories’ via ‘Go! Go! Gecko’ is a digital literacy case-study. Maybe this will be the next generation Hippo on the Roof Eating Cake…but this time it’s a Gecko, in Darwin in new media.