Freelance artist and illustrator Kelsie Dayna has a new title to add to her list of accomplishments: author-illustrator! Her alphabet board book, From Aloha to Zippy’s (Bess Press, 2026) reimagines Carol Colbath’s original with gorgeous art and ʻōlelo Hawai’i.
We are delighted to talk story with Kelsie.
Aloha, Kelsie, and congratulations on your debut children’s book! Could you please introduce yourself for those readers who haven’t met you yet? Where did you grow up? What high school did you grad from?
Mahalo! My name is Kelsie Dayna. I am a freelance artist and illustrator in Honolulu. I was born and raised here on ‘Oahu. I graduated from Maryknoll High School. Go Spartans!
I studied for a year at the University of San Francisco, before returning back home and finishing my bachelor’s degree at UH Mānoa, Shidler College of Business.
How did you get into illustrating? Was it something that you studied or did it blossom from a passion? What made you decide to start writing children’s books?
I have always loved art, but it wasn’t something I ever took seriously or even considered as a career choice. I didn’t study art formally or take classes–my path into illustration was much more organic (and some might say, accidental).
After graduating with a business degree, I began working an office marketing job, but I was laid off during the pandemic. It was a challenging and uncertain time, and I found myself turning to art as a way to cope with everything I was going through.
What started as a personal outlet gradually became something more. I began sharing my art–and my journey–online, and over time, that led to new opportunities that eventually allowed me to transition into illustration full-time.
As for children’s book, it felt like a natural extension of my work. I’ve always been drawn to storytelling and fun, colorful imagery, and children’s books offered a space where those elements could really come together in a meaningful way.
Your book, From Aloha to Zippy’s, is described by your publisher, Bess Press, as a reimaging of the classic 2007 book. How did you get involved in the project? What was the journey like?
I was lucky enough to work with Bess Press a few years ago on another project, so being asked to reimagine their beloved From Aloha to Zippy’s was such an exciting opportunity.
The process was one of the smoothest and most enjoyable projects I’ve ever worked on, thanks to the incredible team at Bess Press. From our first meeting to the final drafts, the project took about a year. We took our time brainstorming and exploring ideas, and I’m thrilled with how fun and fresh everything turned out.
When you began work on the book, what do you do first? Character design? Page layout? Or just explore setting?
Since this book is a reimagining of the 2007 edition, our first step was to rethink how each page would function visually. We knew we didn’t want to simply replicate the original photos with illustrations, so we approached it as a fresh start.
Once we decided to structure each letter as its own scene, that framework became a helpful guide for the entire process. From there, I looked at the list of words for each letter and tried to piece together a local Hawaii setting that could naturally incorporate them.
Each page was a creative workout to design compositions that worked within the unique constraints of each letterform. Balancing readability, visual interest, and storytelling within those shapes really pushed me to think more intentionally about layout and flow.
The board book includes a number of Hawaiian language words for each alphabet. How did you decide which words to include? And how did you choose the specific objects or characters for each letter?
Choosing the list of words for each letter was one of the first tasks we tackled, before any illustration or artwork began. Some letters have a lot of word possibilities, while other letters were much more limited, so it was a challenge to create a balanced, cohesive experience from page to page.
What ultimately helped pull everything together was the idea of treating each letter as its own scene or vignette. That approach allowed me to thoughtfully incorporate the chosen words by building a visual story around them—placing objects and characters in a way that felt natural and engaging.
That shift was a real turning point for me, creatively speaking, and I believe it’s one of the most unique aspects about the book.
Your illustrations have a joyfulness to them and are incredibly fun. What’s the inspiration for them? How did you hone your personal illustrating style?
A lot of the joy in my work comes from wanting to create the kind of imagery that feels inviting and approachable. I’m inspired by simple, everyday moments and little things that spark nostalgia.
I think most creatives will agree with this, but I feel like I’m still honing in on my style. And to be honest, I’ll probably be on that quest forever. My style today didn’t happen overnight but came through a mix of experimentation and consistency. I’ve explored different techniques, colors, compositions and eventually noticed patterns in what I gravitated towards. Honing in on my style has been less about forcing something specific and more about refining what already felt true to me.
What is the most rewarding aspect of creating an alphabet book for children?
I am happy knowing the book can be part of a keiki’s earliest experience with language and storytelling. As a parent, that feels especially meaningful.
It also feels really special to root the book in Hawai’i. Being able to reflect familiar places, language, and everyday moments adds another layer of connection, especially for local Hawai’i families. I love the idea that keiki might see parts of their own word in the illustrations while also discovering new details each time they read it.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start writing/illustrating children’s books?
I’d say just start creating — don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Begin with an idea, a character, or even just a few pages and see where it goes!
More importantly, make something that feels true to you. If you enjoy the process and your work is genuine, it will show!
That’s great advice! So … Next Stop Zippy’s? I planned to ask you what you like to there, but I see Megan Kakimoto beat me to it in her Honolulu magazine interview 🙂
I have so many childhood memories there with my parents and grandparents. My family are I are Zippy’s regulars. It’s always our next stop!
Ours, too! Mahalo nui, Kelsie, for a wonderful talk story! We can’t wait to see what’s next for you.
To see more of her work, please visit her at Kelsie Dayna Designs. You can find also find Kelsie on Instagram and Facebook.
Images courtesy of Kelsie Dayna.
4 thoughts on “Interview with Hawai’i Author-Illustrator Kelsie Dayna”
This book, design, word inclusion, and concept is fabulous. Thanks for sharing your process.
Mahalo, Vicki! Kelsie is so talented. She was so fun to interview.
It’s phenomenal how much thought goes into children’s books like this one. So many people have no idea. I love seeing her process described in detail. Congrats to Kelsie!
Thank you, Jilanne! It’s true. So much preparation went into creating this board board. I especially love how truly local the images and words are.