One of the main features of “James and the giant peach” are the human sized bug characters. These creatures help the character James to
achieve his dream and play a main part in the plot. To design these characters
it would help to have an understanding of the animals they are based upon. During my research I also completed some sketches to gain a further
understanding of my subjects.
Centipede
There are many different spices of centipede in the UK, this
is important as the book is set in England. The common centipede is probably
the most recognisable for its dark red/ brown colouration and segmented body. These Centipedes have antenna on both their head and their back segment, even though the back pair are technically legs. The banded centipede is similar in appearance however, it
has stripes running across its body and down its legs. The UK banded centipede
is often reddish in colouration but they are know to be more of a sandy yellow.
Sometimes their striped patterns can take a purplish tone but are most commonly
black or brown.
Ladybird
In the book the character Ladybird is kind and compassionate.
She looks after the whole group and helps keep everyone calm. The book describes
her as a 9 spotted ladybird who has 7 spotted cousins.
There are no species of 9 spotted Ladybirds in the UK. Despite
this the commonly seen 7 spotted Ladybird has a chance to produce 9 spots on
it's shell. This species is well recognised for it's bright red shell and black
spots. In the book ladybird talks about how she likes to eat aphids,
this is true in real life as aphids make up most of a ladybirds diet.
Glow worm
Glow worms are a species of beetle found in many different countries,
including the UK. They get their name from the bioluminescent tip on the tail
segments. The glow is mainly a defence strategy to keep the beetle safe from predators.
This glow is much brighter on the females of the species as they try to attract
a mate in their short life span.
Adult male glow worms develop wings for finding a mate. The female
of the species remain wingless. As the character
in the book is a female it’s important not to add wings to her design.
Earth worm
In the UK there are known to be 27 different native spices
of Earth worm. The common British earthworm is the most well-known as they are
fairly prolific. The largest British earthworm is a species known as a Lob Worm and
can grow to over 30cm in length. Most earth worms are similar in appearance
with only the colour and size being different.
books used in this research
M Chinery, 1997, Collins Publishers, Collins Gem, Insects
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