# Unusual Coloring Book — User Guide

*The coloring book for the other side of the story.*

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## What Is This App?

Unusual Coloring Book lets you create coloring books from classic fairy tales — but with a twist.

Instead of the same old story, you get to see it differently. You can follow a different character's feelings, or change one big moment and see what happens next.

Every coloring book has 6 pages, a real story, and illustrations you can color yourself — right on screen, or printed out.

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## How to Start the App

1. Find the file called **open-app.bat** in the app folder
2. Double-click it
3. Wait about 10 seconds — two windows will open briefly, then your browser will open automatically
4. The app is ready when you see the story cards on screen

> If your browser does not open automatically, go to: **http://localhost:3000**

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## How to Make a Coloring Book

### Step 1 — Pick a Story
You will see 5 story cards on the home screen:
- Snow White
- Little Red Riding Hood
- Cinderella
- The Ugly Duckling
- The Tortoise and the Hare

Click the story you want.

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### Step 2 — Choose How to Reframe It
Each story gives you two options:

**"See Another Side"**
The same story happens — but you follow a different character's feelings and thoughts. For example: what was the Evil Queen actually thinking when she made that apple?

**"Change One Moment"**
One important decision in the story changes — and you see what happens next. For example: what if Snow White said no to the apple?

Click whichever option you want.

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### Step 3 — Pick Your Character or Moment
A few choices appear:
- For "See Another Side": choose which character you want to follow
- For "Change One Moment": choose which decision gets changed

Click your choice and then click **"Generate My Book"**.

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### Step 4 — Watch It Generate
The app will show you what it is doing:
- Building the characters
- Writing the story
- Drawing the illustrations

This takes about 5 seconds. Then your coloring book appears.

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### Step 5 — Read and Color
Your 6-page coloring book is ready.

**To color:**
1. Click a color from the palette at the bottom
2. Click any area in the illustration to fill it with that color
3. Use the arrow buttons to move between pages
4. Click **Undo** if you want to go back one step
5. Click **Clear** to start that page over

**To adjust an illustration:**
Type a short instruction in the text box below the image, for example:
- "Make the wolf look friendlier"
- "Add more flowers in the background"
- "Make the sky lighter"

Then press Enter. The illustration updates.

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### Step 6 — Save or Print

**Download as PDF:**
Click the **Export PDF** button at the bottom. A print-ready file will download to your computer. Open it and print on any home printer.

**Order a Printed Book:**
Click **Order a Printed Book** to get a real bound copy shipped to your door (this is a paid option).

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## Tips for a Better Experience

- Use a tablet with a touchscreen — coloring with your finger feels much more natural
- Print on thick paper (at least 120gsm) for the best coloring result
- Try both modes for the same story — "See Another Side" and "Change One Moment" give very different books
- Each book makes a lovely personalised gift — print it, fold the pages, and staple the spine

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## The 10 Ready-Made Books

| Story | See Another Side | Change One Moment |
|---|---|---|
| Snow White | The Evil Queen's feelings | Snow White refuses the apple |
| Little Red Riding Hood | The Wolf's backstory | Red Riding Hood knew all along |
| Cinderella | The Stepsisters' shame | Cinderella left on purpose |
| The Ugly Duckling | The bully duck's fear | He never finds the swans |
| The Tortoise and the Hare | The Hare's exhaustion | The Tortoise waits for him |

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## Something Not Working?

**The app did not open:**
Make sure Python and Node.js are installed on your computer. Then double-click open-app.bat again.

**The browser opened but the page is blank:**
Wait 15 seconds and refresh the page. The backend may still be starting.

**An illustration looks wrong:**
Use the text box below the image to describe what you'd like changed. For example: "The character's dress should be longer."

**The PDF downloaded but looks cut off when printed:**
In your printer settings, set the paper size to A4 and choose "Fit to page."

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## About the Stories

All five fairy tales in this app are over 100 years old and belong to everyone. They are not owned by any company. The stories and illustrations this app generates are completely original — created fresh each time, just for you.

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*Made with Gemini 3 AI. For children aged 5 and up.*