Example: Timosha the hedgehog
The character sheet: the same hedgehog from the front, the side and the back.
The blue knitted scarf and the brown backpack are the same in all three views. This sheet is then uploaded into every illustration.
Step 1. The story text
Write it yourself or ask ChatGPT, Claude or DeepSeek:
Write a kind fairy tale for children aged 4 to 6 about a small curious hedgehog named Timosha with a blue scarf and a backpack, who finds a magic lantern in the autumn forest. 10 short pages, 2 or 3 sentences each. For each page, describe what is shown in the illustration.
The illustration description for each page immediately becomes the basis for your prompts.
Step 2. The character sheet
Model: Nano Banana Pro, 2K, 16:9 format.
Original children's book character: a small curious hedgehog named Timosha with a blue knitted scarf and a tiny brown backpack. Soft watercolor illustration, warm pastel colors. Character design sheet on a white background: front view, side view and back view, full body, same character in all three views. No text.
The «No text» at the end matters: without it the model may add a caption to the sheet.
Step 3. Illustrations
Upload the character sheet and describe the scene for the page:
Use the hedgehog character from the uploaded image and keep him exactly the same: blue scarf, brown backpack, proportions and colors. Children's book illustration in the same soft watercolor style: the hedgehog finds a glowing lantern in an autumn forest at dusk, fallen leaves, cozy magical atmosphere. Leave empty space at the bottom for text. 4:3
Rules:
- the style description is the same on every page;
- repeat the hero’s features in every prompt;
- leave room for text if you will lay out the book.
Step 4. The cover
Use the hedgehog character from the uploaded image, keep him exactly the same. Children's book cover in soft watercolor style: the hedgehog holds a glowing lantern in an autumn forest. Title at the top: «Тимоша и волшебный фонарик» in a playful hand-lettered font. 3:4
The title «Тимоша и волшебный фонарик» means “Timosha and the Magic Lantern”. Nano Banana Pro writes Russian titles legibly, but hand-lettered fonts sometimes distort letters: check each one.
Step 5. A cartoon based on the story
An illustration can be brought to life in Seedance 2.0: it holds the style and the character well.
Soft watercolor animation style. The hedgehog walks slowly through the autumn forest holding the glowing lantern, leaves fall gently, the camera tracks beside him. Sound: gentle music box melody.
Several such scenes add up to a cartoon: how to make an animated film with AI.
Printing
- Generate pages for print in 4K.
- Ask the print shop about the format and bleed margins.
- It is better to lay out the text separately rather than generate it on every page: that way a typo is easy to fix.
About rights and children
- Do not use characters from modern cartoons and books: other people’s brands, logos and characters.
- Better not to use photos of children for generation and publication: make a hero who resembles the child by features.
- If you will sell the book, read up on rights: copyright on AI images.
How to keep the hero the same in video too: character consistency.
How much it costs
| What | Model | Approx. |
|---|---|---|
| Character sheet | Nano Banana Pro, 2K | ~25 rub. |
| 10 illustrations | Nano Banana Pro, 2K | ~253 rub. |
| Cover | Nano Banana Pro, 2K | ~25 rub. |
| 6-second cartoon | Seedance 2.0, 480p | ~109 rub. |
KADR prices, October 2026. This is not a public offer. For print in 4K an illustration costs about 44 rubles.
In short
A children’s fairy tale with AI: the text from a text AI, a character sheet in Nano Banana Pro, illustrations with that sheet as a reference, a cover with a Russian title and a cartoon in Seedance. The hero stays the same if you upload the sheet into every generation and repeat his features. A book with 10 illustrations costs about 304 rubles.
