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Starfish-lizard-butterfly hybrids, straight from the imaginations of first-graders

Their mythical hybrid creatures were scary, odd, and even a little silly. And they were 100% directly from the imaginations of first-graders to desk-size three-dimensional beings before they were smooshed back into balls of clay and put away.

Rosie Haugen’s West Oakview art class spent a class period recently sculpting Dia de los Muertos Alebrije animal figures with modeling clay. The traditionally wood and festively painted sculptures have significance to the annual Mexican Day of the Dead, observed on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

“Mine is a starfish with cat ears and a human head,” said Asa Wright.

“I just sculpted a lizard body with a chicken head and a fox’s tail,” said Jozy Morter. “And look, the head comes off.”

“This is a horse butterfly rabbit,” explained Kaitlyn DeVowe.

Jayvius Serena’s creature looked like a grasshopper-frog mix with possibly a crab claw growing from its head. What was it?  “I don’t know, but look at its big smile,” he told a visitor.

“It’s a tricky medium, so anytime I can get the materials out it’s a great chance for them to work with it,” Haugen said.

Asa Wright, foreground, dropping his mask for a photo, shows off his starfish sculpture with cat ears and a human head, and Kaitlyn DeVowe holds up her horse-butterfly-rabbit sketch
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Morgan Jarema
Morgan Jarema
Morgan Jarema is a reporter and copy editor, covering Northview. She is a Grand Rapids native and a product of Grand Rapids Public Schools, including Brookside and West Leonard elementaries, City Middle/High School and Ottawa Hills. She found her tribe in journalism in 1997 and has never wanted to do anything but write. For 15 years she was a freelance journalist for The Grand Rapids Press, covering local schools and government, religion, business, home & garden and lifestyles. She and her husband, John, think even those without kiddos should be invested in their local schools and made to feel a part of them. Read Morgan's full bio

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