Strangest Creature Creator
My book The Strangest Thing in the Sea examines the strangest sea creatures I could discover. Sharks that look like goblins. Fish with see-through heads. A jellyworm with angel wings.
Now it’s your turn to create your very own strangest creature. I bet it will be the strangest thing that could ever have existed in the sea.
You’ll need a large piece of paper, four sticky notes, pens or pencils for drawing and colouring, and lots of wild creativity!
Download the whole Strange Creature Creator Package here +
Step One: Where does your creature live?
Choose what part of the ocean your creatures lives. Where it lives will affect how it moves, what it eats, and what might like to eat it. If you don’t like any of these ocean zones, invent your own!
Open Ocean (sunlit zone)
Bright, deep water
Nowhere to hide
Body shape: sleek bodies are good for going fast
Colour: silver is best for camouflage
hydrothermal Vent
Life on a boiling volcano
Darkest of the dark waters
Very little to eat
Shallows & Coral reefs
Warm, bright, shallow water
Lots of places to hide
Lots of predator and prey
Colour: spots, stripes and bright colours are best for camoflage
deep ocean
Dark, cold water
Hard to find dinner in the dark
No where to hide
Colour: who cares? It’s too dark to see
mangrove swAMp
Warm, murky water
Lots of predators and prey
Close to rivers, land, and the ocean
Step Two: Choose your strange parts
Choose four strange parts. See handout for ideas. Take four sticky notes. Write one of your strangest parts on each sticky note and doodle a little drawing.
It is so incredibly heartwarming to hear my book has made an impact. I really do put my whole heart into my projects—which I’m sure you can understand as an artist—so to know that they mean something to someone in the outside world is so special.
Step Three: Let’s get Creative!
Take your big piece of paper (ideally 11 x 17, but any size will do), stick your four sticky notes down on side, and start creating your creature!
Or, maybe you want to do some deeper thinking before you start drawing. Here’s a questionnaire to help you get thinking about how your Strangest Creature lives its life.
And remember, there are no right or wrong ways to create your Strangest Creature! If you want only 3 strangest parts or if you decide to have every single weird body part ever seen, this is your creature!You’re the boss!
And if you do make a Strangest Creature, I’d love to see it! Please send it to me at racheljudy@shaw.ca. Below are some of the Strangest Creatures I made in a workshop in Drumheller, Alberta.
