Monday, December 16, 2019

Mermaid Evolution: The making of "The Castle That Kai Built" by Tammy Yee, Island Heritage Publishing

Before there was Kai, there was an anglerfish.

Who was roughly based on my bulldog, Roxy.

And since every memorable character needs a sidekick, I gave her a mermaid.
Who looked something like this...

And this.


Mermaid study, acrylic.

This was back in 2013. She wasn't ready for the world, so I put her aside and worked on other things.

When she was finally ready to come out again, I decided to soften her. And make her more representative of children everywhere. After all, diversity isn't represented in the color of your hair, whether it be pink or purple. So Kai got several makeovers.



The final illustrations were done in Procreate on an iPadPro.


And that's Kai's story!


The Castle That Kai Built


By Tammy Yee
Island Heritage Publishing
Hardcover: 32 pages
ISBN-10: 1617104108
ISBN-13: 978-1617104107


What happens when Kai the mermaid and her loyal pet anglerfish build a castle under the sea?

They are joined by a rollicking cast of sea creatures — including a mischievous octopus, a school of jellyfish and playful dolphins — whose wild antics stir up trouble. Tammy Yee's bright illustrations invite children to search for details as the follow Kai on her aquatic adventure.

The Castle That Kai Built is a cumulative tale in which the story repeats and builds as more characters are introduced.

  


Tuesday, December 10, 2019

The Castle That Kai Built Origami and Coloring Activities

Just in time for the holidays, here are origami and coloring activities for my new book, The Castle That Kai Built, Island Heritage Publishing.

Kai Mermaid Origami (Color)

Kai Mermaid Origami (BW)

Kai Coloring Page



The Castle That Kai Built

By Tammy Yee
Island Heritage, 2019

Kai the mermaid builds a lavish sandcastle under the sea. The castle seems to attract all kinds of sea life, from clams and jellyfish to fearsome sharks and playful dolphins. One-by-one, each visitor causes a troublemaking chain of events that leads to disaster for Kai! What will happen to Kai and the castle that Kai built? The Castle That Kai Built is a cumulative tale in which the story repeats and builds as more characters are introduced.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Shark Patrol Coloring Page

New! Coloring page for my book, "Shark Patrol," written by Ron Hirschi, illustrated by Tammy Yee, Mutual Publishing.



Enjoy, and visit my author/illustrator page, www.tammyyee.com

And follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/babyhonu/



Young Kai and Lehua hop aboard the SS Scoutabout for an adventure of a lifetime, studying sharks with Captain Mike, biologist Aunt Jan, and their seafaring pup, Scout. Cruising from Hawaii to California, they encounter beautiful oceanic whitetips, great whites, thrashing threshers, and the biggest fish of all, the whale shark. Approaching the mainland, they discover all is not well for some sharks in California waters and the two kids make plans to help the sharks, to help the ocean!



Wanda's Humpback Hula Show



I just uploaded fun activities for my book, "Wanda's Humpack Hula Show," written by Marian Parks and illustrated by Tammy Yee, available at American Nature Tale Books.

When Wanda's new baby brother arrives, she feels left out . . . until she cleverly hulas her way to humpback fame. But one day a careless mistake ruins everything. How will Wanda fix this mess? Kids will enjoy Wanda's entertaining antics, but they'll also learn about the North Pacific humpback whale migration and that sometimes, they need to say, I'm sorry.

American Nature Tale Books also features a fun Story Activities and Teacher's Guide that you can download on their website.

Here's what the Midwest Book Review has to say about Wanda: 

A charmingly entertaining picture book story with a genuinely important underlying message, "Wanda's Humpback Hula Show" is an especially recommended addition to family, elementary school, and community library picture book collections.
Print and fold a Wanda the humpback whale origami:
Print and make a Wanda paper bag puppet:


Wanda's Migration Coloring Page


Wanda under the sea coloring page

Enjoy, and visit my author/illustrator page, www.tammyyee.com

And follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/babyhonu/



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