Ichi-ban continues to live in my heart and one morning in the winter of 2024 as I was sitting quietly after breakfast, she started speaking in my head. "Hi! My name is Ichi-ban! I know, it's a funny name…” I grabbed a notebook and kept on writing and in less than thirty minutes I had the first draft of Ichi-ban Goes Hiking.

Within a few days I found myself with the drafts for three books and it was just a matter creating my vision for them and then slowly bringing them into fruition. I feel like these books are the perfect coming together of my love of dogs, kids, nature, writing and graphic design.

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have enjoyed creating them! ~Julie Maurer