Nature's Rule Breakers: Creatures That Don't Fit In

by Jessica Fries-Gaither

Some rules are meant to be broken, even those in the animal kingdom!

You're probably familiar with many of the common categories scientists use for warm-blooded or cold-blooded, nocturnal or diurnal. But what about the animals that don't fit in? Sharks cannot be classified as warm or cold-blooded—they are somewhere in-between. And Eurasian eagle owls don't hunt during the day or night. Instead, they swoop through the trees at dawn and dusk. Author and science educator Jessica Fries-Gaither introduces eight common categories scientists use and the animals that break those rules. Gorgeous, full-color photos will captivate budding scientists with every read!

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens

Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

People love to fit things into “boxes” or categories because such generalizations are comfortable and make everything so much easier! Scientists are no different and they spend time putting animals into a groups such as using lungs or gills to breathe. But the Australian Lungfish has both and the Red Salamander does have either one! Author Jessica Fries-Gaither uses beautiful photographs to establish “groups” of animals such as herbivore/omnivore, saltwater/fresh, and even male/female and then gives photographic examples of animals who just don’t neatly fit into either category and includes brief text to explain why. With the oversized, attractive photographs plus the large and easy to read text, children and middle grade readers will thoroughly enjoy this non-fiction book that is appropriate for a wide range of ages. Care-givers and librarians are sure to learn a few thing as well!

Thanks for the print arc, Millbrook Press and Lerner Books.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

NATURE’S RULE BREAKERS is an expository nonfiction picture book highlighting animals that don’t fit into common scientific categories.

Short paragraphs deliver fascinating facts about 23 animals; learn which ones have both lungs and gills, can reproduce without a mate, and spend months frozen solid.

Author Jessica Fries-Gaither features a nice mix of creatures that young readers will likely recognize (hippo and deer) and see for the first time (sacoglossan sea slug and echidna) in the book’s colorful photographs.

Back matter:
* Additional animals and plants considered in-betweeners
* Glossary
* Recommended books and websites for further reading
* Information on why scientists categorize animals.

Intended Audience: Ages 5-9

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[Kelly Rice Schmitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a knock-out nonfiction book! This is the kind of nonfiction kids will love. NATURE’S RULE BREAKERS packs fascinating facts in an intriguing, kid friendly comic-book-style design with a question/answer format to highlight some of Earth’s most interesting, rule breaking creatures. I love how it pushes kids to expand the black and white categorization often found in basic science teachings. There is so much grey in our world, so it’s refreshing to see something highlighting that to young readers. Playful writing combined with gorgeous photos make for a compelling nonfiction read aloud suited for home, classroom, or library settings. Back matter includes more about scientific categorization, extinct in-betweeners, plant in-betweeners, and a glossary. Highly recommend!

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scientists love to sort animals into categories - warm blooded or cold blooded, fresh water or saltwater - but not all animals can be neatly placed in one or the other. This book is full of fascinating examples of the creatures that defy tidy categorization. Did you know that clown fish can change gender? Or that crocodiles sometimes eat fruit? It is a perfect book for any child who loves animals or loves knowing uncommon facts. I also think the overall theme of it being okay to not quite fit into a category or to be an "in-betweener" is a wonderful message for all children. We as people rarely fit into a tidy category, even though we tend to attempt to sort all living things that way. The idea that we too can be an in betweener is a lovely, relatable idea.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

With gorgeous photos and a digestible format, Nature’s Rule Breakers is a terrific introduction to biological categories and examples of living things that don’t fall neatly into those categories. Of course, scientific phylogeny is much more complex than the groupings that the general public uses but this book offers a good foundation for kids to understand the broad categories and their limitations. Plus, they will meet cool animals they might not have heard of before. It’s an excellent book for any library, home or school.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous non-fiction picture book! We all like to label and categorize things to make sense of the world. This book highlights the outliers, the fascinating animals and plants don't all fit easily into our imposed boxes. It's a lovely biological challenge to black and white thinking that's so common in our culture. The writing is kid-friendly and engaging. The photographs are beautiful. The back matter is outstanding. I highly recommend this book for science-focused kids, libraries and classrooms.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teaches kids about various binaries defining animals, and then encourages readers to think beyond those black and white boundaries. My 8yo adores books like this, that help her make sense of nature, and introduce her to new, interesting creatures. The text is approachable and educational, engaging and fun (as an adult reader, I learned quite a bit too!). Love the bright, gorgeous photos! This is a great addition to any classroom, library, or home.

[Megan Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love fascinating nature books like this one. It's so informative and yet easy to read and understand-- which is a plus for my brain that's terrible at focusing on and retaining non-fiction information. I learned so much from this. Highly recommend if you (or your kid.. lol) are interested in animals and the absurdity of nature.

[Laura Perdew · Rating 5 out of 5]

As humans I think we are often drawn to categorize things - to sort things into neat categories. But nature has other idea! This book pays tribute to those who are the exception to manmade rules. I also think the idea of not fitting in is something many kids can relate to. The photos in this book are beautiful too!

[Sherry Fellores · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is is such a fun way to teach kids about animals that don’t quite fit in the box. NATURE’S RULE BREAKERS include vivid photographs and lively text and is sure to make learning fun! Great book for your classroom and home library!

[Monica Acker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This nonfiction text is captivating! It identifies several of nature's "rules" and then shares the creatures that break the mold. So fun for kids to learn about the many ways nature is amazing. My 8 year old particularly loved the frozen frog. This one will be read again and again!

[Gina Soldano-Herrle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made my jaw drop on nearly every page turn! There is so much fascinating information in this short engaging text. My five year old likewise was incredulous throughout, continually asking me, "Really? Is that true?" Highly recommend this book to any age reader!

[Jackie Morera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous, captivating, and educational. Nature's Rule Breakers: Creatures That Don't Fit In is sure to be a staple in classrooms and on my personal bookshelf!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is informative and a fun read for adults and kids alike.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun and interesting book. I loved reading all the unusual traits of animals that don't fit into our prescribed "boxes." Kids should find this book fascinating, too. So much to love.

[Kimberly Yavorski · Rating 5 out of 5]

NATURE'S RULE BREAKERS , by Jessica Fries-Gaither is a fascinating book about what she calls "in-betweeners" - creatures that refuse to be categorized. Did you know that there are creatures that make their own food? That deer sometimes eat birds? Or that there are some that may appear dead for long periods of time (even a full season!), then awaken and go about living normal lives? These are just a few examples of weird-but-true details of creatures both exotic and familiar that are sure to surprise and delight readers.