PORT ANGELES — Matt Kracht said he was unsure what the reaction to his first book, “The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America,” might be when it was published in 2019.
Modeled on authoritative identification guides like those of David Sibley and Roger Tory Peterson, “Dumb Birds” is an irreverent parody whose snarky observations about bird behavior and cheeky illustrations are laugh-out-loud funny. Then there are the often-profane takeoffs on bird names like white breasted butt nugget (white-breasted nuthatch), doofus hummingbird (Roufus hummingbird) and California smug jerk (California scrub jay).
“I was nervous when the book was first coming out that I was going to be tarred and feathered by ornithologists and chased out of town by scientists and the Audubon Society,” Kratch said.
Instead, bird lovers and experts turned out to be some the book’s biggest fans and helped make “Dumb Birds” a best seller with more than 300,000 copies in print.
“They were sort of the first to pick it up and say ‘We love this. This is really funny,’” Kracht said.
But you don’t have to possess an even mild interest in birds to appreciate Kracht’s skillful drawings and the sharp-tongued observations on their annoying behavior, scathing criticism about their markings and ridicule of their migratory patterns that demonstrate the careful research and attention to detail that distinguish“The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America” and its follow-up, “The Field Guide to Birds of the Whole Stupid World.”
Kracht has brought that same attention to accuracy and detail — and snark — to his latest book, “OMFG, Bees! Bees Are So Amazing and You’re About to Find Out Why” (Chronicle, April 2023).
Kracht will discuss all three books and sign copies during his visit from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St. Odyssey Bookshop will be on site with copies of “OMFG, Bees!,” “The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America” and “The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World” for sale.
Fair warning: Kracht’s books contain profanity.
“I’m not swearing at the storm, but I also don’t censor myself,” Kracht said.
The genesis of “Bees” came during the COVID lockdown when Kracht and his wife began spending a lot of time in the garden of their Tacoma home. It was while pruning a Russian sage in the yard that he came face-to-face with his next subject.
“There were all these bees. There were bumble bees and there were honeybees and there were these tiny little sweat bees and there were bees that I couldn’t name or recognize,” Kracht said. “They were all just going about their business inches from my face. They just ignored me and did their thing, and it was kind of a profound moment for me.”
The experience piqued his interest, even though at the time he had no intention of writing about bees, but simply learning more about Bombus vosnesenskii (yellow-faced bumblebee), Amegilla bombiformis (teddy bear bee) and Dasypoda hirtipes (pantaloon bee).
When his agent suggested a “Dumb Bees” book, he balked.
“I was like, no way, I can’t do dumb bees, they’re too precious, they’re too important for our ecology, and pollinators are in a bad way right now,” Kracht said. “It just felt like kicking someone when they were down.”
But the idea stuck.
“It was a couple of weeks later that it occurred to me that I could write from the same character, this guy who’s irrationally angry at birds but is also irrationally in love with bees,” Kracht said. “I thought, ‘OK, that’s something I could do because it’s more positive.’”
Kracht doesn’t consider himself a “cause writer,” however.
“I think of myself as a humorist and a writer and an artist, and I write about what interests me,” Kracht said. “But I thought this was a good time to use my fairly limited platform to say something.”
With “Bees,” Kracht abandoned the “Dumb Birds” field guide format but brought the same level and intensity of research to the text and illustrations.
There are chapters on how bees make honey, their behavior and impact on the environment and even what to do in case of a “bumblebee emergency.” (Tip: If it hasn’t moved in 45 minutes, try reviving it with a 50/50 mix of water and sugar.)
“It’s entertaining and it is lighthearted and there’s humor in it, but I do manage to talk about serious stuff,” he said.
Kracht’s ink and watercolor illustrations are looser and more gestural than those in “Dumb Birds” and convey a sense of movement and energy. They were also a challenge, he said.
“I have always been terrible at watercolor and I wanted to get better. It was a personal challenge and a way to grow as an artist,” he said. “And, believe me, every single illustration in that book, I did three to five times to get what I wanted.”
“Bees” is still irascible and ribald, but Kracht’s humor is not mean-spirited or offensive. (If his books were movies, they would probably be rated PG-13 for language.)
Kracht said he has always been interested in the natural world and his books have allowed him to follow that passion. After art school, he began a successful career in graphic design and while never seeming to have the time to devote to his own work, he managed to find a publisher for “Dumb Birds.”
On the same day in 2018 that he was laid off after spending 25 years in the creative department at Starbucks, a galley copy of “Dumb Birds” was on his front porch when he got home.
The book’s timely and surprising success allowed Kracht and his wife to re-think their lives. They relocated from Seattle to Kracht’s hometown of Tacoma, and Kracht became a full-time artist.
“It’s been terrifying because it’s way less money, but it’s been a great experience,” Kracht said. “I have never been happier because I’m now back to what I love to do, which is write stories and make pictures. How many people get to say that?”
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
