Cartoon snake beside uppercase and lowercase S letters in a cactus desert scene

Smiling Snake with Big and Little S

A cheerful snake curls around a desert rock while spotted uppercase and lowercase S letters float above the cacti.

🎨 How to color it

Color the snake emerald green with golden belly bands, make the big and little S letters sandy yellow with coral patches, and shade the cacti blue-green. Use sharp colored pencils for the snake’s stripes and the wavy patches inside the letters, then switch to broader strokes for the rock and open desert ground. Try a sunset twist by blending peach behind the tall S so the snake’s smile feels extra warm.

The story behind this coloring page

Soren’s Sneaky Sandstamp — Every afternoon, when the cactus shadows grew long and the sand smelled hot as toast, Soren slid to the dry wash to press curly tracks beside the rocks. Read the full story →

Every afternoon, when the cactus shadows grew long and the sand smelled hot as toast, Soren slid to the dry wash to press curly tracks beside the rocks. He wanted one grand S for the alphabet post, but his tail always wobbled: splut, slither, splat.

In his pouch he carried a cracked snail shell, plain and dusty, though it had been his first tiny bowl for mixing berry ink. One day, a gust flipped the shell onto his tail. Because of that, Soren stamped a loop instead of dragging one. Because of that, the loop joined his slide mark and made a bold, twisty S that even the cactus wrens whistled at.

“Mine made it!” Soren hiss-laughed. Finally, he dabbed the shell with ink, stamped a little S beside the big one, and signed the post with proud speckles. Next time you spot those wavy patches, see if you can find the shell that turned splut, slither, splat into Soren’s grand S.