Rupert, the beaver, loved kayaking. But Rupert lived several miles from the closest river and his primary mode of transportation, his bike, was not built for carrying a kayak.

First, Rupert tried to bike while balancing the kayak on his head. He used one arm to steer the bike and the other to hold the kayak. But Rupert fell frequently, could barely see and felt lucky he hadn't hit anyone yet.

What Rupert needed was a vehicle that could function both as a bike and a kayak, so he set to work.

This illustration is the third in a visual narrative created for the 2023 SCBWI Narrative Art contest: "create a sequence of three or four drawings that tell a story of experimentation: the trial and error—and perhaps the excitement—of invention."