Turning shapes into stories

Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve are brilliant authors and illustrators – but we challenged them to draw some things using just basic shapes as a starting point! Then they had to make a story using everything they'd drawn, including their character Kevin (the roly-poly flying pony!)

Here's the full story that they made up! Can you believe all this came from some simple shapes?! Try coming up with your own – if you do, make sure you write it in the comments.

Grizelda the Ballet Monkey is drying her armpit hair, getting ready for her dance show, Monkey Lake. She's so excited, it's her big day! But then – oh no, the hair dryer has stopped working! Why? Because the tiny winged pony who powers the hair dryer has got bored and has fluttered off to seek adventure. It's a disaster, what is Grizelda going to do?!

Grizelda is shocked and horrified, but she's not the only one because there's only one hair dryer to share between all the monkeys! Steve the Rock Monkey has an important concert coming up, and he also needs a hair dryer. (For his hairdo, not his armpits.)

'What are we going to dooooo?!' cry Grizelda and Steve. 'There's just 20 minutes til the big concert starts!'

Suddenly, off the top of Steve the Rock Monkey's head jumps Sir Gerald the Flea, poshest of all the fleas. He's the heir to a very old flea family, who have been living on top of Steve's head for generations.

'I say, you chaps, we can help! My little chums and I could easily power that hair dryer', says Sir Gerald. What a capable flea! (Capability Flea is in fact his nickname in the flea world.)

Meanwhile, Kevin the Roly-Poly Flying Pony has found his way to the Dessert Planet, the biggest dessert in the universe. So it's a happy ending for everyone!