Author Q&A: Thomas Lehrich on Researching Orca Whales & His Orca Book
Q: What inspired The Adventures of Backpacker Billy and Shave series?
Thomas Lehrich: I’m the author of the Backpacker Billy and Shave children’s adventure book series. We have published six books in the series. The stories grew out of my lifelong love of nature and travel, paired with a desire to bring wildlife to life for young readers. As a kid, I went on backpacking trips and would imagine characters and animals along the way. Some people I hiked with thought I made up seeing wildlife but the animals somehow know I am there. I have for example seen pods of whales on every whale watching boat excursion to date. I write stories about these animals and it eventually became this series.
Q: How does nature and real-world research go into your books?
Thomas: Nature isn’t just a backdrop. Nature is central to the stories. For each book, I do research about the habitats and species we feature so that young readers not only enjoy the adventure but also learn about the natural world. For example, in the Hawaii-set Hawaiian Lion, I learned a lot about volcanic soil, plant migration, and ecosystems and made that part of story.
Q: You’re writing a book about orca whales in the Puget Sound and Seattle — what was it like researching orcas?
Thomas: The Puget Sound orca book — titled The Adventures of Backpacker Billy and Shave: Backpacker Billy, Orca Whales is a chance to introduce kids to one of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic marine mammals and their environment. Orville the orca calf is a central character in the book as they sail on the ferry to Bainbridge Island
Q: What do you hope young readers take away from the orca book?
Thomas: I want kids to fall in love with the Pacific Northwest’s orcas the way I did exploring these waters and landscapes.
Q: What comes next after the orca book?
Thomas: I completed the research for our New England whale story including research in Maine and Boston. We will be featuring humpback whales and whales in the northern Atlantic Ocean.
