About the Authors
Krystal Wallick
Growing up in South Florida, I have always loved to spend my free time writing. After several years working as a preschool teacher and a play therapist, I traveled the country facilitating professional development to early childhood and elementary educators. Although these roles required a lot of writing it was not the kind of writing to make people laugh and truly touch the hearts of those reading it. So I started to write children's picture books and finally my true passion is coming to life!
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The Fun Stuff
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When I am not writing amazing adventures for other children, I enjoy my career as an Instructional Facilitator to mental health professionals and teachers in the public school district where I live. I love having my own adventures with my husband and three young children at the beach, parks, and zoos where I live in south Florida with two dogs and two cats.
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Education
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With a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a background in education and children’s mental health, I am able to look at a child’s difficult situation from a professional—and parental—lens and form adventure stories that can be therapeutic and aid in navigating scary experiences. My hope is that my stories empower children to feel in control, brave, and strong.
Anabelle Wallick
Anabelle Wallick is an elementary school student. She has always had a love of reading, writing, and drawing. One day after feeling particularly upset, she went to her room to draw her feelings. When she came out, she had drawn a picture of a hurricane filled with different facial expressions. This inspired her to turn her drawing into a book. She hopes that this story will help other children feel not so alone when they lose control of their emotions, as well as give them skills to be able to calm their body. Anabelle loves all things ice cream, rainbows, glitter, and unicorns. She lives in south Florida with her parents, two younger siblings, two dogs, and two cats.
About the Illustrators
Sarah Nettuno
Illustrator of the Ari the Brave Series
Sarah Nettuno is a dreamer by day and an artist by night, based out of New York. In 2014 she became a student at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah GA and graduated with a BFA in Illustration! While she was in college she did an internship at Walt Disney World and got to live out her dream of working for the mouse. She also studied abroad in Lacoste France, her very last quarter at SCAD. She specializes in kidlit art, products, toys, board and card games, gift illustration and anything else that's cute and fun! Connect with Sarah at www.nettunoillustrations.com or www.instagram.com/nettunoillustrations.
Martina Straniero
Illustrator of My Feelings are a Hurricane
Martina Straniero is an Italian architect and children's book illustrator currently living in Texas with her husband and her two little girls. She has always loved drawing and her dream of becoming an illustrator has finally come true. My Feelings Are A Hurricane is Martina's second children's book as illustrator. You can find out more at linktr.ee/martinacartina.
