Animals and books—it’s probably safe to say Jacqueline Johnson loves them equally. As a kid, she begged her parents for a cat for two years before they finally gave in, she always knew she wanted to become a veterinarian, and has avidly read a wide variety of books. As an adult, her own children are eager for stories about her days at work caring for animals, so naturally, writing those stories down came next.

“My kids love hearing stories about the things I do at work. My youngest, who is 6, even demands that I make videos of my surgeries so she can watch them later,” she says. “After hearing me tell them about my day yet again, my husband said, ‘You should write a book.’ And suddenly that seemed like a great idea.”

Her first book, “The Doggy Doctor and the Upset Tummy,” was self-published in 2020 and shows kids what happens at a veterinarian’s office when a dog is sick. Her most recent book, “Elinor McGrath, Pet Doctor: The Story of America’s First Female Veterinarian,” was released this past March and tells the true story of the trailblazing McGrath and what she overcame to become a veterinarian during the early 20th century. She will read and sign copies of “Elinor McGrath, Pet Doctor” from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the La Jolla/Riford Library.

Johnson, 43, earned degrees from the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Ohio State University. Today, she’s an associate veterinarian at Cabrillo Pet Hospital and lives in Scripps Ranch with her husband, two daughters, and their two Giant Schnauzers, two cats, one tortoise, and four fish tanks. She took some time to talk about her work as both a doctor and a writer, the kinds of books she currently likes reading, and why bananas are the worst.

Q: Your first book, “The Doggy Doctor and the Upset Tummy,” was self-published in 2020. Can you talk about the process of going from “The Doggy Doctor” to “Elinor McGrath, Pet Doctor”?

A: “The Doggy Doctor” was the one I wrote for my kids, but when I get excited about something I tend to go all out. So, I found this wonderful illustrator, Chennon Roberts, who is the daughter of a vet tech. Instead of just doing on-demand printing with Kindle Publishing, I had it professionally printed so it would be the same quality as any book you’d buy at the store. It was a ton of work. That lead to me writing a lot of other stories and wanting to try traditional publishing, which is where having an agent is really helpful. “Elinor” was one of the stories I wrote; I like little-known moments in history, and her story was really fascinating. Just imagine what determination she had to get through vet school being the only woman, plus everything else she accomplished. She was just really inspirational.

Q: When did you first learn about her story and what was it about her life and work that compelled you to share it with children?

A: I had seen her mentioned here and there over the years on various veterinary sites and social media, generally during Women’s History Month, so I just started delving a little deeper and realized what an amazing person she was. I think kids love anything to do with animals and most are so surprised when they learn that there didn’t used to be women vets. It’s a great story to show that anyone can accomplish their goals if they just put their minds to it.

What I love about Scripps Ranch…

It’s just beautiful here. It’s wonderful driving home along Pomerado, through all of those trees, and you just forget that you’re still in a city. We are surrounded by wildlife, and I get a kick out of watching the coyotes steal the bones that my dog, Rebel, buries in the backyard.

Q: Your website says that you’ve been an avid reader of young adult, science fiction, fantasy, since having children, picture books. Can you talk about the kinds of books you were drawn to as a kid?

A: I loved fantasy books like “The Chronicles of Prydain” by Lloyd Alexander and all of the “Redwall” books by Brian Jacques. I loved the sense of escape and adventure. I also read a fair amount of Stephen King, even when I was a kid, but I’m not sure my parents knew about it.

Q: Who/what are you currently into reading?

A: I do a lot of audiobooks now, and at 1.8x speed I get through at least 150 books a year. I have less time to sit and read physical books, but I just started “The Ritual” by Adam Nevill. I still read about 80 percent horror and fantasy novels, with some mysteries thrown in, too. I think there’s an amazing talent when a writer can make you scared. “House of Leaves,” by Mark Z. Danielewski absolutely terrified me, and I just wish I could write like that!

Q: Do you see any influences — whether from your childhood or current favorites—showing up in your approach to storytelling in your books?

A: I can’t say I see a particular influence I could point out, but I do think that reading so much inevitably influences a writer. Reading across so many authors and genres teaches you so many different ways to describe things, to bring depth to characters, and to move plots along. The more you read, the more you get a feel for what resonates with you and what doesn’t.

Q: Your website also says that you have “a particular passion for writing about little-known events in history.” Have you come across anything that you’re looking to include or focus on in your next book?

A: I am currently working on a middle grade novel set in the Sumatran POW camps in World War II, told from the point-of-view of Judy, an English Pointer that was a member of the British Navy and the only animal registered as an official POW in history.

Q: Do you see yourself continuing to tell stories centered around veterinary medicine, or moving into stories that take a different focus altogether?

A: I do have one other veterinary-related picture book on my works-in-progress list, but I tend to write about whatever catches my interest. I have some other picture book biographies on submission right now, and have a release next year about mangrove restoration in Africa. I also have an adult novel-in-verse historical romance based in 14th-century Portugal, so I really do write about everything!

Q: What’s been challenging about your work, both as a doctor and as a writer?

A: I absolutely love my job as a veterinarian. I love the challenges of trying to find out why a patient is ill when they can’t tell you what’s wrong, and working to make them better. As a writer, finding time is a challenge. I also struggle with ADHD, so it’s easy for me to get distracted from a current writing project by a new idea. I’ve got at least a dozen writing projects in various stages and hop from one to the next.

Q: What’s been rewarding about this work?

A: For my veterinary work, forming long-term relationships with my clients is amazing. I love being with them from the puppy/kitten stage, through the animal’s life, and then after that time passes, being there again for their next family member. For my writing, I love seeing pictures of kids reading my books.

Q: What has this work taught you about yourself?

A: I think writing has opened a creative side that I thought I had lost, and I’ve realized it’s OK to take time to do things you really love.

Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

A: Probably to put things back where you got them. Totally ridiculous, but honestly, I’m constantly putting stuff down and then forgetting where it went. I’m sure I’d have more time to write if I wasn’t constantly wasting time searching for things.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: I have a violent hatred of bananas. The smell, the taste, the texture — just ugh, I can’t stand them.

Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: I like to take a nice long walk with my dogs every day. My family loves to go to the (San Diego) Zoo or Safari Park, and I think we go almost every month to one or the other.