Q&A with Kirsti Call

Kirsti Call is the author, with Corey Rosen Schwartz, of the new children's picture book Mootilda's Bad Mood. She is the co-host of the Picture Book Look Podcast and the co-coordinator of ReFoReMo. She lives in Massachusetts.

Q: How did you and Corey Rosen Schwartz come up with the idea for Mootilda's Bad Mood?

A: We dreamed up the name Mootilda and knew she needed a story. Since I'm a therapist we wanted to write something social/emotional, so Mootilda’s Bad Mood seemed like the perfect fit! 

Q: How did the two of you collaborate on the story?

A: Corey and I text, message in Twitter and on Facebook, talk on the phone, and message in Google docs. We sometimes meet on a Google doc in real time, and sometimes work asynchronously. Wordsmithing our rhyming stanzas is super fun--we spend a lot of time writing terrible stuff that makes us laugh. 

Q: What do you think Claudia Ranucci's illustrations added to the book?

A: I absolutely adore Claudia's illustrations. She brings Mootilda to life in a way that I never imagined was possible.

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?

A: I hope kids decide it's okay to be in a bad mood. And then I hope they repeat our refrain: "I'm in a bad moooood!" And I hope it makes them laugh.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I'm working on a chapter book series, a YA and MANY other picture book manuscripts.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: I’m super excited for Cow Says Meow, which is coming out with HMH on March 16, 2021. Also Corey and I have another book, Cold Turkey, releasing with Little Brown in the fall of 2021.

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Kirsti Call is offering one signed review copy of Mootilda's Bad Mood, for someone in the United States. First to reply in the comments will win--thanks!