a) 菓 -> 柱 -> 青 -> 肪
菓 KA - cake, fruit
柱 CHUU, hashira - pillar, column, pole
青 SEI, SHOU, ao(i) - blue
肪 BOU - animal fat
b) 姿 -> 如 -> 員 -> 贈
姿 SHI, sugata - figure, form, shape, appearance
如 JO, NYO - equal, like, as, as if
員 IN - member
贈 ZOU, SOU, oku(ru) - give, present, bestow