Kreebo: The app turning children’s imagination into illustrated storybooks!

Illustration: TBS

When an email landed in Tahsin Zaman's inbox, he had to read it twice. The message said that a story written by his nine-year-old daughter, Wanita, was going to be published on Amazon. His jaw dropped. 

He always thought that publishing was the realm of professional authors. Against such an established norm, his second-grade daughter at Glenrich International School (GIS) was about to have her name on a book available to readers across the globe.

The surprise soon gave way to pride. Wanita had always been a creative girl. This time, her creativity had reached an audience far beyond her school and family. The opportunity had come through Kreebo, a new app built to nurture children's ideas and turn them into illustrated books — complete with text, images, and even voice narration. 

"My daughter loves this platform. It is like a social network for kids where she can read books written by other children of her age. She has already written around 15 to 20 books herself", said Tahsin. 

The app has made her creativity visible beyond her school or family. "In today's time it is very important to know what children are doing during their screen time. This app helps boost her creativity. Its interactive design makes her enjoy it a lot," Tahsin added.         

Wanita is not alone. Children from different countries have begun to find their voices through Kreebo, building stories, creating characters, and seeing their books brought to life in print and digital form. What sets this app apart is not only the technology, but the philosophy behind it.

The birth of an idea

Saraf Talukder, the founder of Gurho — the US-based company behind Kreebo — shared the exact moment when the idea struck him. "Last summer my child had to write a story about the summer experience," he recalled. "While doing it, I noticed that my child was struggling. There were many thoughts and ideas in the mind, but when it came to writing them down, it was difficult to put the thoughts together."

Our proprietary algorithm is not just a wrapper on top of a standard GPT model. We have applied our own algorithms. Because of that, we can help create fun stories, adapt to children's language, and apply age filters. It is like a simple sandbox for children. It is open to everyone, but designed to be safe and creative for young users.

It was a familiar struggle — one he saw not only in his child but also in adults. "We have ideas in our heads, but when we start to write, we cannot express them properly," he said. Saraf gave a small push to help, but the same problem returned. He realised the difficulty was not about language skills, but about organising thoughts. 

With artificial intelligence advancing rapidly, Saraf saw an opportunity. "The kids should get a touch of this technology. This is how Kreebo was born." He and two other Bangladeshi co-founders — all parents of young children — set out to create a tool that would ease the journey from imagination to expression. 

How it works 

Kreebo allows children to write with the support of an AI companion. It asks questions, prompts them to expand on their ideas, and helps them build a story step by step. Once completed, the app transforms words into illustrated books, complete with voice narration.

Saraf explained the technology behind the app, "Our proprietary algorithm is not just a wrapper on top of a standard GPT model. We have applied our own algorithms. Because of that, we can help create fun stories, adapt to children's language, and apply age filters."

In simple terms, the app does not just generate a random story, rather, it walks with the child through the process.

For a minimal fee of about two US dollars per credit, a child can create and publish a book on the platform. Five of the best books each month are selected for Amazon publication, free of charge to the families. Profits from sales are shared equally among all participating children.

The system has proven sustainable. According to Saraf, Kreebo operates at low cost, has already won the Asia Smart Innovation Award, and is a finalist in an upcoming global challenge.

'The Marshmallow Dragon'

What happens inside the app feels almost like a games app. A child begins by choosing to write a story or their own sketch drawing. A chat interface opens, with an AI bot asking, "What story do you want to write today? What kind of characters will you have?" If the child hesitates, the bot offers gentle suggestions. It is a conversation that grows into a manuscript.

Once the outline is set, the app asks the child to choose an art style. There are nearly 20 options, from anime to 3D graphics. The child then describes each character. From these descriptions, the app generates images, builds pages, and creates a full book that can be shared, read aloud, or stored in a gallery where peers can leave stars and likes.

In only three months, Kreebo recorded 6,000 minutes of reading time on its platform. Children have produced stories with titles as unexpected as 'The Marshmallow Dragon'. "Can you imagine how creative a kid can get? The limit is infinite," as Saraf put it, "Children have amazing creative thoughts. Such ideas might never get expressed without the right tools."

Parents say the effect goes beyond writing skills. The platform has created a safe space for children to use technology constructively. "It is like a simple sandbox for children," Saraf noted. "It is open to everyone, but designed to be safe and creative for young users."

Kreebo has also begun working with schools. A separate version is in the works, according to Saraf, which will allow teachers to manage student accounts, keep collections private within a classroom, and run weekly sessions. The app can even be used to practise English conversation.

Competitors like Google Gemini can generate stories, but Saraf argued that Kreebo's strength is its ecosystem. "It is like having the best tea leaves but also owning the tea shop where people come to taste it," he said. In other words, Kreebo is not only a tool, but also a stage.

As Saraf explained, "To generate an interactive book with voice narration, illustration, and a story, you need three tools. But Kreebo brings all these three under a single umbrella."

Kreebo is available on Android and iOS, and already in use in Bangladesh. The team's ambitions, however, extend far beyond children's storytelling. A new app called Kreebo Learn, due for release in October, will allow students to learn school subjects through interactive sessions. 

The founder believes that by expanding from storytelling to education, Kreebo can remain relevant for years to come.