Thursday, April 16, 2020
Fun and educational mazes keep kids busy!
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Home Resources from Arbordale Publishing!
Visit https://www.arbordalepublishing.com/digitalbooks-permissions.htm.
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Thursday, February 27, 2020
2020 SCBWI HAWAII CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOPS!
Art from "Penguin on Vacation," by Salina Yoon. |
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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... 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.
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Tuesday, December 10, 2019
The Castle That Kai Built Origami and Coloring Activities
Kai Mermaid Origami (Color) |
Kai Mermaid Origami (BW) |
Kai Coloring Page |
The Castle That Kai Built
By Tammy YeeIsland 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.
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Thursday, December 5, 2019
Shark Patrol Coloring Page
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!
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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 |
And follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/babyhonu/
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Thursday, October 24, 2019
Saturday, November 16, 2019: HONOLULU BOOK SIGNING!
at Barnes & Noble, Ala Moana
Looking for personalized gifts that inspire and educate? Join Tammy Yee and Leslie Hayashi as they sign their new books with Mutual Publishing: "Saving the Fairies," by Leslie Ann Hayashi, illustrated by Holly Braffet, and "Shark Patrol," written by Ron Hirschi and illustrated by Tammy Yee.
SAVING THE FAIRIES, based on a true story, features a newlywed pair of Fairy Terns lovingly guarding their newly hatched egg.
SHARK PATROL joins two children, Kai and Lehua, as they hop aboard the SS Scoutabout for an adventure of a lifetime, studying sharks.
Both books are beautifully illustrated and teach children about Hawaii's unique wildlife. Stop by and talk story! Get your signed copy in time for Christmas!
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Saturday, September 14, 2019
Behind the Scenes: Two More Illustrations from Shark Patrol!
And stay tuned for information about my upcoming book signings in November, just in time for Christmas!
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Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Saturday, August 31, 2019: HILO BOOKSIGNING!
Tammy Yee
Let's have fun! Join me this Saturday at 1pm at Basically Books in my favorite small town, Hilo! I'll be signing books, reading "The Castle that Kai Built," and more! Rumor has it that I'll do some sketching. And I'll bring my iPad, so I can show you how my illustrations for Kai were made.
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Behind the Scenes: Illustrating "Shark Patrol"
Written by Ron Hirschi, illustrated by Tammy Yee
Mutual Publishing, 2019
Illustrating Shark Patrol, A Discovery Adventure in Hawai'i presented a unique and fun challenge: how to incorporate author Ron Hirschi's fact-filled lively text and rich illustrations into an 8" x 9" 32-page format.
Working with Ron and Mutual Publishing editor Jane Gillespie, we gave this story of young explorers Kai and Lehua, as told through mail correspondence, a fresh update by having the characters post their adventures on social media via Shark Grams.
Shark facts were personalized by presenting them as journal entries made by the budding scientists...something that I did as a child pretending to be a researcher aboard Jacques Cousteau's famous vessel, the Calypso. Other devices included photos taken by the crew and Post-it notes from the desk of the ship's biologist, Auntie Jan.
Here's a sketch of the layout. Each character has an avatar for their Shark Gram. And social media is no fun without emojis!
Another idea derived from my nerdy childhood was to use the endpapers to illustrate the relative size of sharks as compared to Kai and Lehua.
Growing up in Hawaii, you'd think I'd know a little about sharks--but there was much to learn! Threshers and great whites, blacktips versus whitetip oceanics (not to be confused with whitetip reef sharks)--so many sharks! This meant a lot of research and a lot of sketching.
And the best fun is receiving a box in the mail and seeing the book for the first time!
For more information about Shark Patrol, visit Mutual Publishing. And stay tuned...more videos from the creation of Shark Patrol will be posted on my YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnNilsL1o_gI_SReou04B9A.
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Saturday, July 20, 2019
Behind the Scenes: The Making of "River Rescue"
NOAA Infographic: 10 Years After Delaware River Oil Spill |
So how does a Hawaii-based illustrator work on a book about rescuing oiled birds? With lots of help from the author, editors, and expert Lisa Smith at Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research.
Before working on River Rescue, I knew little about the havoc that oil spills can wreak on our nation's waterways. Then I learned about the 2004 oil spill on the Delaware River (see inset). While transporting oil to a Philadelphia refinery, the tanker Athos I struck a submerged anchor and leaked more than 250,000 gallons of heavy oil into one of the busiest shipping complexes in North America. Thousands of birds were killed, and the incident had lasting effects on the environment.
But the study of the effect that oil spills have on wildlife began long before the Athos I accident.
On the day after Christmas in 1976, a tanker ran aground on the Delaware River. 134,000 gallons of oil spilled out of the ruptured hull, creating a 25-mile-long slick that threatened 60,000 ducks and geese. "As a result, Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research was founded in 1977 to study the effects of oil on birds and to find a way to successfully treat wildlife."
My first task in illustrating River Rescue was to learn more about river habitats and the birds, insects, reptiles, and fish that inhabit them, and to make sketches. I asked myself, what birds lived along the riverbanks? Were they migratory? What did they eat? How did they co-exist with other river inhabitants? Lisa Smith from Tri-State helped me along the way, making suggestions and corrections.
Next, I researched how experts rescued oil-contaminated birds. How did they hold the frightened animals? Did they wear protective clothing? What did the rescue facilities look like? Every detail, down to the gloves and goggles, was scrutinized.
The cover took several drafts.
Once the rough sketches were approved, the illustrations were completed in Procreate on an iPad Pro. I imported textured backgrounds and used brushes to make the digital illustrations look more traditional. Procreate also allowed me to take videos of the works in progress:
I hope you enjoy River Rescue as much as I enjoyed illustrating it! For more information, please visit Arbordale Publishing.
Lala enjoys receiving books as much as I do.
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In Spanish, too!
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Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Behind the Scenes 2: "A True Princess of Hawaii"
Sorry, no audio, just the keynote slides depicting research photos of old Hilo Bay, the 1880-1881 Mauna Loa eruption, Princess Ruth, and how I draft and revise my illustrations.
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Saturday, June 1, 2019
Behind the Scenes: Illustrating "A True Princess of Hawaii"
A True Princess of Hawai'i Written by Beth Greenway, illustrated by Tammy Yee Arbordale Publishing, 2017 |
Years ago, I lived in Kaumana, six miles above Hilo town on the island of Hawai'i. Many of the homes were built on the remnants of the 1881 Mauna Loa eruption featured in the book, "A True Princess of Hawai'i." Evidence of the eruption was everywhere. Lava rock walls bordered tiny gardens, and black pahoehoe lava peaked through the grass, ferns and 'ōhiʻa trees. Nearby was Kaumana Cave, part of a miles-long lava tube that was formed during the eruption. It was the perfect place to raise two young sons! Since then, I have been fascinated with the story of Princess Ruth's intervention to save Hilo from Pele's destruction. So I was thrilled to work with Arbordale Publishing on A True Princess of Hawai'i. Their team is devoted to creating books that encourage kids to explore, and their website features lesson plans and activities to supplement learning. Research
Rough Sketches I studied photos of the eruption and maps of Hilo town and began sketching.
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Left: view of Waianuenue Street from the Hilo Wharf, 1890s. Right: Keoki and Nani race to the town pier to greet Princess Luka. |
Left: Hilo Wharf, 1880s. Right: the arrival of Princess Luka. |
To learn more about True Princess of Hawai'i and to view more of the finished art, visit https://www.arbordalepublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=TruePrincess.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed illustrating it!
Printable coloring page:
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Copyright ©2016 Tammy Yee
All rights reserved. No portion of this web site may be reproduced without prior written consent.