Have you ever seen a Hawkodile? Or a Toraffe? What about a Cowaconda? All of these creatures (and more) can be found roaming through the imaginative universe of Unnatural Selections, a picture book by artist Wallace Edwards. To create this book, Professor I.B. Doodling, a traveling artist, took suggestions from schoolchildren to create fantastical hybrid animals. The result is a collection of magnificent beasts that are sure to inspire the imagination.
Since your students or children will be full of creative energy after reading Unnatural Selections, here is a simple drawing activity that pairs perfectly with this book. This game would also be a great way to encourage reluctant readers to engage with the text.
While this game is sometimes called The Exquisite Corpse or The Combination Man, we are calling it the Unnatural Selections Drawing Game! It works best with three to six people.
Here’s how to play:
- Fold a piece of paper into thirds, quarters, fifths or sixths, depending on how many people are playing.
- Pass the paper around—each person draws part of a body from head to toe.
- Remember, your drawings don’t have to be just animals or humans. They could be robots, aliens, monsters…the possibilities are endless!
- Once each person has drawn their section, unfold the paper and admire your crazy masterpiece together!
Happy reading and happy drawing!
Unnatural Selections is also available as a read-along!
Wallace Edwards is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and an award-winning author and illustrator. His paintings and illustrations are found in public and private collections, books and magazines and on public display in Canada and the United States. Wallace has been the guest speaker at many conferences, literary events, schools and libraries. He finds visiting with students from kindergarten to grade six especially enjoyable, where his presentations consist of reading, discussions and drawing. For more information, visit www.wallace-edwards-art.com.