Ocean Adventures with Cory: The Coral Reef City is Book 1 of a two-part illustrated children’s book series I created in collaboration with Oceanus Conservation. The goal was to make marine conservation education more engaging for kids and to plant the seeds of ocean love early on.
Through my illustrations, we introduce a colorful parrotfish and three types of corals as the main characters, along with the effects of human activities, pollution, and climate change on their lives. These stories turn complex environmental ideas into something children can easily understand and connect with.
I handled all of the creative visual work—from character design and illustration to book layout and print proofing. Designed as a bilingual, community-first resource, the book has since been translated into over 10 languages and shared through storytelling sessions and partnerships across the Philippines and internationally. What started as a small illustration project during the pandemic grew into a broader education effort, reaching hundreds of children and reinforcing my belief that illustration can be a powerful tool for learning, empathy, and care for the natural world. ♥️
The Corals
Corals reefs are made of thousands of tiny animals called coral polyps.
First row L-R: Massive coral with tentacles out, close-up of Favia coral (a kind of massive coral), close-up of a branching coral showing polyps
Second row L-R: Close-up of slughorn branching coral, foliose coral, close-up of foliose coral polyps with tentacles out
Second row L-R: Close-up of slughorn branching coral, foliose coral, close-up of foliose coral polyps with tentacles out
All photos are credited to @coralreefbeauty. (c) coralreefbeauty.com
Character Studies
Initial sketches
Cory the Coral Polyp (massive coral) character studies
Branching Coral character studies
Foliose Coral character studies
Composition Drafts
Rendering Sneak Peek
