What if the substitute teacher was a literal owl?

Kristi Mahoney lives outside of Boston, MA with her husband, two teenagers, and six fur-family members. Kristi loves animals of all kinds, so it’s not surprising they’re a big part of her writing. She also cannot pass up a beautiful sunset, is never without a book, and has been known to rescue every bug that wanders into her house. OWLS MAKE TERRIBLE TEACHERS is a sequel to her award-winning debut, Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or BlueSky.

OWLS MAKE TERRIBLE TEACHERS is a picture book sequel to ALPACAS MAKE TERRIBLE LIBRARIANS. This time it’s the classroom teacher that is replaced by an owl. Makes sense, right? I mean, many of us associate owls with wisdom and teachers any way. BUT what if that owl were the literal animal? That’s the question this hilarious book asks and answers (just like the first book in the series).

Welcome Kristi!

Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey. When did you start writing picture books? How has that brought you to writing this picture book?

Kristi: I’ve always loved to write, and in 2016 I started writing more seriously. I joined SCBWI and over the next two years wrote a YA and a MG novel. In 2018, I joined 12×12 and discovered my true passion for writing picture books. I’ve been doing that ever since. Once I had a few good stories, I dove into the query trenches, but I quickly learned it was way too early. I stopped to focus on: learning craft, finding great critique partners, improving my writing, and revising. I knew I was on the right path when my stories were selected as winners in mentorships like PBChat and PBParty. Soon after, I signed a contract for my first picture book with Gnome Road Publishing for Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians and, eventually, Owls Make Terrible Teachers.

Me: I love that you took the trope of a wise owl and made him a teacher with very real animal qualities. What gave you the idea for this story?

Kristi: Thank you! I love animals and discovering facts about them so it’s no surprise these elements are woven into my stories. I also love humor and a lot of the time I find that humor sparks when two unlikely things are paired together. I started making a list of animals and putting them into professions that would be unlikely. The settings that were most kid-friendly seemed to work the best, and schools and libraries rose to the top of my list. And although you may think owls (being wise as you mentioned) would make terrific teachers, my research started to hint at another outcome…one where Owls Make Terrible Teachers.

Me: This is the second book you’ve published in this series. ALPACAS MAKE TERRIBLE LIBRARIANS was the first. Was it easier to write this story after the first already existed or was it harder? How many drafts did it take to get to this final state? Were there a lot of revisions or was this a gift from the Muse?

Kristi: Although it’s the second book in the series, I actually wrote my first draft of Owls Make Terrible Teachers before Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians. But it took a bit longer to perfect my Owl story so I ended up subbing Alpacas first. There were many drafts to get Owls to this final state. I had the help of eight critique partners and it went through about 30+ revisions. Pretty much every line was revised to make sure it was packed with as much chaotic fun and facts as Alpacas, but that it maintained a uniqueness of its own.

Me: Let’s talk about your series. Was it always a series? Did you pitch these first two books together or did the second book come about because of the first book’s success? There’s already a hint here of another possible story. Can we hope for more books in the series?

Kristi: Having this become a series is a dream come true. Once Gnome Road acquired Alpacas, it was the brilliant idea of my editor, Sandra Sutter, to switch up the ending to “hint” at another terrible animal situation. It worked perfectly that the same cast of characters that encountered the Alpaca would head to school to tell their teacher and discover…Owls Make Terrible Teachers. The second book was acquired about a year after the first. Both Gnome Road and illustrators Chantelle and Burgen Thorne have been such a pleasure to work with so, of course, I’d be thrilled to work with them again!

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this book?

Kristi: The one thing that surprised me while writing this book is an owl fact that I discovered during the research stage. It’s not widely known that owls have extremely long hidden legs. I had no idea and was cracking up watching videos of owls running. Illustrators Chantelle and Burgen Thorne did a fantastic job depicting the running scene I wrote in to showcase this very fact.

Me: Chantelle and Burgen Thorne’s illustrations in this book are hilarious. I love the little details they add (like the owl’s tie!). Did you have any illustration surprises? Any favorites?

Kristi: I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Chantelle and Burgen because they are so talented and add so much humor to the story through their art! Pretty much every page offered an illustration surprise…the turquoise owl, his amazing tie, his expressions (especially with the owl pellets), their brilliant use of color, and how they managed to capture every fact and detail better than I could have ever imagined. Everything about these two books is ultimately better because of the team that helped create them. 

Me: Do you have any advice for new or aspiring picture book writers?

Kristi: The best advice I could give would be to surround yourself with a community of other kidlit writers that inspire you, that you can grow with, and that you can learn from. Read. Learn about craft. Give back through critiques and reviews. Cheer on others when they have good news because your good news is sure to come! When it does, you’ll have an entire kidlit family to celebrate your success.

That is excellent advice. Thank you for stopping by my blog today Kristi.

Dear readers, this book published last week. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, I recommend tracking it down. It’s a funny story with many unexpected twists and hilarious illustrations that help the humor. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss it.