Simon The Limon, a Human / AI Collaboration

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