The Adventures of Nicki and Ricky

While exploring the strip of beach behind their house, siblings Nicki and Ricky find a tree surrounded by broken shells. A perfect mystery for Detective Ricky and his sidekick (errr, partner) Nicki! Looking closer, they discover broken shells in the tree's branches as well as piled on the ground. But how... and why... did they get up there? Nicki and Ricky's differing investigation strategies are a feature - not a glitch.

Graphic novel, 38p, ages 5-9.

The Mystery of the Shell Tree is the first in the BAFFLING BIRDS Trilogy; expected completion January 2024.

Author 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 Adventures of 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.

Illustrator Sarah E. Steinberg has always felt best outside - and no surprise, she likes drawing the outdoors, too (her career as a freelance architectural designer and illustrator is strewn with big windows and growing things). A watercolorist with formal drafting experience, Sarah is dipping her brushes and pens into the world of comics and picture books. She both writes her own children's stories and collaborates with others, celebrating finding magic in the everyday world. Sarah and Rowena met during a Kids' Comics Unite intensive course on the project that turned into Nicki and Ricky's first adventures. Sarah lives in Portland, Oregon, with her partner, son, dog sidekick Penny, several noisy chickens, and an aggressive hummingbird pal. Sarah is represented by Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio. You can find her at sarahesteinberg.com.