Author

Laura Mancuso grew up loving the beach and marine biology in St. James, New York. After graduating from the University of Buffalo, she continued to live and work in Buffalo, New York with her husband. However, she missed her family and friends—and the ocean, too! Laura made her way back home to Long Island. Inspired by her daughters’ love of mermaids and nature, Laura decided to start writing children’s books. With her writing, she hopes to encourage young children to love reading while drawing awareness to the preservation of our waters.

Laura is a member of the Long Island Authors and Long Island Children’s Writers & Illustrators organizations. She currently lives in Hampton Bays, where you can find her with her family at one of its many beautiful beaches. The Fin-Tastic Arctic is Laura’s third children’s book in her award-winning Fin-Tastic series.

About the Illustrator

Jenna Guidi grew up on Long Island and studied illustration and animation at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Jenna’s work has been featured in Netflix shows, and this is the second children’s book she has illustrated. Since Jenna was a little girl, she has loved Disney and Pixar films, which sparked her lifelong interest in art. When she is not drawing, she is usually reading, baking, and drinking tea. Traveling has given her a greater appreciation of the earth, and she believes we must do the best we can to take care of our planet and each other.