"Lawrence the Wonder Dog" began when one night I dreamt of my late dog, Larry. That dog taught me so many life lessons. His adventures gave me many stories to tell to friends and family. His prodigious ways always astounded me. He was always able to get out of problematic situations—some of these situations he created himself—in the most ingenious ways.   Ergo the birth of “Lawrence the Wonder Dog.”

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I illustrated and wrote the first children’s picture book in this series with so much enthusiasm and joy. I was amazed that I didn’t get melancholy because we lost Larry some time ago. I had the feeling that Larry was watching over me and egging me on to tell his best stories. Like I’ve said in the past, “The words flowed out of my mind, through my fingertips, and onto the computer screen.” And the images of the Lawrence adventures floated around in my head until they literally ripped onto the page.

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I also thought it important to use a special font. Although the font looks like a traditional typeface, Dyslexie by Christian Boer is designed specifically for people with dyslexia – a neurological disorder that causes a disconnect between language and visual processing making it difficult for the brain to process text. I suffer from dyslexia and would have probably enjoyed more books while growing up if this font were available.

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I have always felt it an honor to welcome a pet into one's heart and home.  One can learn many life lessons from the pet’s point of view with mindful observation.  With this book, I send encouragement to anyone who wants to explore a graceful manner to solve some everyday problems they may encounter with their children.

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I need to thank my dear friend Sara Kraber who convinced me that I could write, and I must thank Beth Schreibman Ghering for prodding me into using my artistic talents. Dave Mendel needs to be thanked for offering me, and unexpectedly only me, the gift that was Lawrence when Bawruu, his Dog Mom, had one more puppy than he anticipated.  Carol Donaldson and Laura Mock must be mentioned as they taught me many lessons on how to parent and train these hardheaded, but lovable Jacks.