Rowena ZahnreiAuthor Marie Ventura (alias Rowena Zahnrei) grew up hiking Rhode Island's nature trails with her father, a high school science teacher and naturalist with a passion for photographing and identifying wildflowers. Each story collected in The Adventuresof Nicki and Ricky draws direct inspiration from her own experiences exploring the shore and marshlands with her brother and sister, scouring the woods and meadows for rare flowers and living fossils, and observing her state's diverse and fascinating wildlife season to season, year after year. A devotee of Sherlock Holmes, Rowena has always enjoyed writing stories that combine her love of mysteries with her fascination with the natural world. She had a scholarly article published in The Baker Street Journal, and her short nature mystery, "The Ghost in Room 113" was published, with illustrations, in the children's nature magazine Ranger Rick. As a professional educator, she believes graphic novels are the perfect format for sharing the beauty and mystery of nature with early and reluctant readers, whether they're exploring a public park, protected habitat, or their own backyard. Read More Read Less