Judy Clausen lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida and is a professor at the University of Florida. Born and raised in Florida's First Coast, she has always enjoyed Florida's beaches and wildlife. The seashells, animals, and vegetation in the book's paintings can be found in Florida, and the book's paintings depict her kids and their friends and neighbors, Sarah and Olivia. Author's royalties from the sale of The Mermaid's Purse go to The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach where her children made art at summer camps.