Thomas Lehrich the Author — on Why Backpacker Billy & Shave
Since a young age, I felt the wonder in the wilderness. My earliest backpacking trips — sometimes with my cousin and a backpack full of food and gear — took me from trailheads on the Appalachian Trail to the mountains of the Adirondack Mountains.
Those experiences didn’t just shape me — they stayed with me. I remember watching the stars, hearing the wind through the trees, seeing how unexpected and unpredictable the weather was at night.
When I began telling stories to my own children, those memories found new life. I realized I wanted to share not only the thrill of adventure, but also the deep wonder of nature — of animals, geology, habitats, and ecosystems — with young readers. That’s how “Backpacker Billy” was born: a young adventurer.
Together Shave and Backpacker Billy come alive as the guides on journeys that blend imagination, travel, and real-world nature.
I worked with a talented illustrator, Brody Cohen, to bring these adventures to life — so the forests, volcanoes, animals, and landscapes are given as much personality and wonder as the characters.
The Books — Our Published Journeys
To date, Backpacker Billy and Shave has taken readers to a variety of ecosystems — from tropical islands to high mountains to desert canyons.
Backpacker Billy and the Hawaiian Lion
• The inaugural story in the series, this book brings Billy and Shave to Hawai‘i with Billy’s cousin — a journey through volcanic landscapes, lush tropical flora, and the geological magic that forms islands.
• Through this story, young readers explore how volcanic activity, fertile soil, and climate shape ecosystems — a mix of adventure and environmental education.
Washington, D.C.
• In this installment, Billy and Shave swap wildlands for the nation’s capital: they visit landmarks, the National Zoo (meeting pandas), and even observe marine life along the Potomac River.
• This book shows that “adventure” can mean urban exploration too — combining history, animals, and city-life discoveries, broadening the idea of what “wildlife adventure” can be.
Backpacker Billy Visits Colorado Darren (2025)
• The fifth book takes readers into the high alpine environments of the Rocky Mountains. Billy and Shave explore mountain habitats, where they encounter animals like bighorn sheep, marmots, moose, and Colorado black bears.
• This book underscores alpine ecology: how life adapts to altitude, rugged terrain, and seasonal changes — a great way to teach about biodiversity and mountain ecosystems through adventure.
Backpacker Billy and Shave: Utah’s Zion National Park
• In the most recent book, our duo ventures into desert-canyon country at Zion National Park, where they explore old-growth forests, rocky canyons, and meet a wise spotted owl named Spotty — with guidance from a Ranger Richard, a park ranger.
The Red Barn Publishing vision is for young readers to see our books through mountains, deserts, forests, volcanoes — even cities — as playgrounds for learning, not just backgrounds.
Red Barn brings a respect for wildlife and habitats!
A closing quote from Thomas Lehrich
“I want to encourage our readers to appreciate biodiversity and the fragile balance of ecosystems and notice that adventure is a universal language.”
