Kids t-shirt
This kids' axolotl t-shirt carries Ikal: an axolotl facing forward, pale pink, with red gills like feathers on either side of his head and a wide mouth that looks like it's smiling. He wears a red plaid shirt and a denim jacket, and he's a character from my Animal Kinhood series.
Ambystoma mexicanum
Working the chinampa means caring for the water where the last axolotl lives.
Endemic exclusively to the canals and chinampas of the Xochimilco lake system, in Mexico City, at 2,240 meters of altitude. It inhabits the muddy beds of cold fresh water (between 6 and 20 °C), among aquatic vegetation such as ahuejote and water lily, in low-current zones. Its historic habitat also included the now-extinct lakes of Chalco and Texcoco.
The axolotl is one of the friendliest-looking animals there is: its mouth curves upward, as if it were always in a good mood. Ikal has pale pink skin and red, feathery gills sticking out on either side of his head like a crown. I created him facing forward against a plain background: that way the drawing shows up big and clear on the t-shirt, and it's easy to spot from a distance, in the schoolyard or at the park.
The axolotl really exists, and it's one of the most curious animals in the world: if it loses a leg, it grows back. It lives only in one corner of water in Mexico City, and every year there are fewer of them, which is why there are people like Ikal who look after them. He's a good character to get to know: he shows that small things — counting, caring, coming back every morning — matter too. You can read who Ikal is and where he lives in his biography.
| Talla | A · medio pecho | B · largo | C · manga |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2T | 31 cm | 42 cm | 13 cm |
| 3T | 33 cm | 44 cm | 14 cm |
| 4T | 35 cm | 46 cm | 15 cm |
| 5T | 37 cm | 49 cm | 16 cm |
| 6T | 39 cm | 52 cm | 17 cm |
