The Backstory: GOAT'S BOAT WON'T FLOAT: A Goat and Turkey Story

Kim A. Larson joins us today with her debut picture book, GOAT'S BOAT WON'T FLOAT (The Little Press), with illustrations by Gozde Eyce. Goat's antics will have kids rolling on the floor and what is even better is that this is the first book in a series! Keep reading to learn about how this book came to be and for your chance to win a copy of GOAT'S BOAT WON'T FLOAT.

AH: First off, please tell us a little bit about your story.

KL: Goat’s Boat Won’t Float is the first in the Goat and Turkey series. It

introduces the friendship between a fainting goat who topples when

startled—CLUNK!—and an excitable turkey who can’t help but create trouble.

When Goat and Turkey go to buy oats, they load too many oats on Goat’s boat,

and it starts to sink. Despite a tugboat’s efforts to help, nothing can rescue Goat

from Turkey’s tomfoolery. 

AH: I love this duo! This first adventure is so much fun and I can just imagine how their antics will grow as the series continues.

AH: What’s the story behind the story? What was your inspiration? Where did the

idea come from?

KL: The idea came from visiting my grandchildren and their hobby farm. They

loved showing us their animals, and one time they had just gotten these cute little

goats. As we came closer, the goats fell over! I had never heard about fainting

goats before, and I knew I had to write a funny story about them.

This breed of goat is often called a fainting goat, but the goats don’t actually faint.

They have a genetic disorder called myotonia congenita. When startled, the

muscles of the goats stiffen, which causes them to fall over.

AH: Your grandkids must be thrilled that their goats inspired this story. This spark is picture book perfection and it is no surprise at all that it prompted these characters.

How did you approach going from this seed of an idea to what is now

GOAT’S BOAT WON’T FLOAT? Was it something undeniable you had to write

immediately or did you need to sit with this idea and let it grow for a while before

it found its way to the page?

KL: This isn’t the first story I wrote about a fainting goat. In 2019, I wrote about a

goat who was a private investigator. In 2020, I watched an SCBWI webinar by Ann

Ingalls on how to write early readers. I learned that most early readers use sight

words—common words kids recognize without sounding them out. To know

which words I could use, I bought the Children’s Writer’s WORD BOOK by

Alijandra Mogilner and Tayopa Mogilner. The book has word lists for each grade

K-6 and a wonderful thesaurus that gives the grade level for each synonym. On

the kindergarten list was the word GOAT! So, I had found my main character, but

this time he wasn’t a detective.

AH: This is a great resource for others looking to give writing early readers a go. Not only does it help to hit an appropriate text level, but as you have shown it can also be a source of inspiration.

AH: Did GOAT’S BOAT WON’T FLOAT undergo any major changes/revisions from

the original version? If so, what led you to make these changes?

KL: In the first draft, Goat’s sidekick was a toad. I liked the assonance of the

words. But a critique partner suggested the animals be similar in size, for

illustration reasons. I went back to my Word Book and found TURKEY on the

kindergarten sight word list, too. Turkey is also in my other goat story, and just as

excitable. Now I had my duo of opposites.

AH: Are there any books/authors that you feel influenced your work on GOAT’S

BOAT WON’T FLOAT?

KL: At that time, I was reading a lot of early readers. My favorite was Mo Willems'

Elephant & Piggie series.

AH: A classic duo! I think your Goat and Turkey are going to elicit similar excitement from children.

AH: Where do you tend to find your inspiration or your sparks for ideas?

KL: I find my inspiration everywhere. It could be something I read or hear or

watch on TV. I have notecards in several places around the house so I can jot

down my ideas. It’s often just a word, phrase, or something I found funny. Finding

ideas isn’t a problem, but knowing which ones have enough potential takes time

to figure out.

AH: I like the idea of having note cards around. And you are right about the challenge of figuring out those ideas worth pursuing.

Do you have any upcoming projects or news you would like to share with us?

KL: GOAT’S BOAT WON’T FLOAT officially launched yesterday. Woohoo!

In 2025, I have a book coming out with Clavis Publishing. The working title is Doll

Trouble. It’s about a girl whose doll gets run over by a lawnmower and the

emotional journey she takes to love her doll again.

AH: Congratulations on the release of GOAT'S BOAT WON'T FLOAT and for your forthcoming book. I am intrigued by your next title and can't wait to get the chance to read it.

Where can people connect more with you?

KL: You can reach me on my website at KimALarson.com and on Facebook,

Twitter/X, and Instagram. If you sign up for my quarterly newsletter, you’ll receive

a PDF copy of my first published book of short stories and poems: Love,

Laughter, and a few Happily Ever Afters.

AH: Readers be sure to connect with Kim on social media and while you are at it

please consider supporting Kim and GOAT’S BOAT WON’T FLOAT in any way you

can.

Also, please consider supporting Kim and GOAT'S BOAT WON'T in any way you can.

This could include:

- ordering from your favorite indie

- marking as want to read on Goodreads  

-leaving a review

- making a library request

Kim, thank you so much for sharing all about GOAT'S BOAT WON'T FLOAT. I loved learning how this book came to be!

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GIVEAWAY!

The Little Press is giving away a copy of Kim’s book. To enter, comment below

and get an extra point for each time you share this post on social media. Please

tag Kim @KimALarson7 (Twitter) @KimALarson (IG) and Kim Jensen Larson (FB)

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ABOUT KIM A LARSON

Kim A. Larson grew up surrounded by every imaginable farm animal—except fainting goats. Hergrandchildren introduced her to these skittish creatures, and she knew she had to write about them. Goat’s Boat Won’t Float is her debut picture book, the first in the Goat & Turkey series. Her second book, Doll Trouble, will be released in 2025 (Clavis Publishing). In 2021, Kim won the Ann Whitford Paul Award for most promising picture book manuscript. She was a #PBParty finalist in 2022 and 2023. When she’s not reading or writing, you may find Kim gardening or playing her favorite game Sequence. She and her husband live in Moorhead, Minnesota.

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ABOUT ANDREW HACKET

Andrew Hacket  is a writer, second-grade teacher, and father of three. He is also the author of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea,  Curlilocks and the Three Hares, and Hope and the Sea. Andrew recognizes that being a kid is hard and he writes to create ways for kids to see themselves in stories and characters, to accept and overcome their insecurities, or to escape for just a little while through the power of their imaginations.