Adalgisa Nico and David, began their journey as children’s book authors during a family camping trip to Death Valley National Park with their young daughter. While exploring the desert, they became captivated by the rare desert pupfish, a tiny creature that survives in one of the harshest environments on earth. Surprised to find no children’s books devoted to this remarkable species, they decided to write Fish in the Desert: The Untold Story of the Death Valley Pupfish, a story that shares the pupfish’s resilience and encourages environmental stewardship.

Adalgisa, known as “Gisa,” has been an educator for more than twenty-five years and is a lifelong collector of children’s picture books. She loves visiting national parks and participating in their junior ranger programs. Her hope is to inspire families to discover the joy of exploring parks and learning about the animals, plants, and history that make each place unique.

Born in Dearborn, Michigan, David enjoys audiobooks, podcasts, and hands-on home projects. He spent twelve years working in feature film production and now works as an IT support engineer.

David and Gisa live in Los Angeles, California, with their daughter Adele, Gisa’s father, and three lively dogs. Fish in the Desert: The Untold Story of the Death Valley Pupfish is their debut picture book and the first title in the Bringing National Parks to Life series.