So Rude!: Animals Behaving Badly

by Jessica Fries-Gaither

Grownups say, “Be on your best behavior." But in the animal world, rudeness sometimes rules the day!


Scarlet kingsnakes lie; they pretend to be venomous coral snakes to scare off predators. And hippos make a mess; they spray waste to defend their territories. For these animals and many others, being rude can be a matter of survival. Author and science educator Jessica Fries-Gaither introduces seven human behavior rules and the animals that break them!

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals

32 pages, Library Binding

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grownups say, “Be on your best behavior." But in the animal world, rudeness sometimes rules the day!

I love this book. It's educational but it's also humorous and even a little gross at times. The facts are presented in a straightforward manner that young readers will easily digest. There are also some great photos!!

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought from the cover this would be an informational book with some humor along the way. It is informational, but it is also a bit gross. Exactly what will make some of my students interested and likely to hang onto these facts and share them with others. There is interdependence of animal groups and there are animals that use each other for survival. This book has great photographs of the animals being discussed as well as parental sayings that are not followed in the wild animal world in the same way our parents my intend them. There are not enough facts for a single animal study, but there are certainly memorable facts that may be great in an introductory paragraph about an animal to grab your audience and engage them in your research! As the leader of the Scripts National Spelling Bee in my school I will have to have this book in my collection for some of the terms scientists use to describe these often quite rude animal behaviors. When I introduce this book I will likely talk about the afterword as much as a few of the behaviors of the animals. It will be a popular title, that is certain.

#wildanimals #etiquetteornotetiquette

Thankful for the opportunity to review this book on NetGalley.

[elstaffe]

Pull quote/note
"Sometimes we cannot find reasons for animals' behavior. For example, scientists aren't really sure why dolphins are so aggressive to porpoises. And sometimes, animal behaviors come and go. One example happened years ago in the Pacific Ocean. One orca whale swam around with a dead salmon on its head, like a hat. Others in her pod began doing it, too, for the rest of the summer. The next year? No salmon hats. Scientists still don't know why the trend started— or ended. Then in 2024, the orcas once again appeared wearing the hats."

"GLOSSARY
...
maggot (MAY-guht)
...
parasite (PAIR-uh-sayt)"
Me: what on Earth? "Ay" is used to represent the long 'a' sound earlier in the glossary...is this just the scientific way to say these things? May as in the month, not mag as in magazine?
Book copyright page:
"An imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
241 First Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA"
Me: ohhhhhhh you betcha fer cute

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun book to read! All of the facts that were in this book were very unique and super interesting, which allows readers to stay engaged the entire time they read, which is great. Additionally, a lot of the information in this book was made up of facts that you definitely don't hear every day, which makes this book highly fresh and unique. Yet another great thing about this book is some of the facts were funny, which will easily make kids giggle while reading, and also make them want to share what they've learned with their friends any chance they get. Lastly, all of the images matched the writing perfectly, which also added a visual element to what this book was trying to teach readers. This is an absolutely amazing book and I have no doubt that it will be a total hit! Bravo!!

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO RUDE: ANIMALS BEHAVING BADLY is sure to interest kids who like to hear about “bad” behavior in animals. Hipps slinging feces around, gulls poking at seals bottoms, and birds stealing nesting material from other birds are typical behaviors of animals in the wild. As much as I’ve read about animals, I still found a few tidbits I did not know about. Dolphins harassing and hurting their smaller porpoise cousins, for example—who knew. The illustrations are bright and colorful but realistic. This is an excellent educational nonfiction book that will interest even reluctant children. Highly recommended.

[Sydney Coffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! There are so many interesting facts that haven't been discussed in much detail before. There are facts that are humorous, keeping some of the deadlier information a bit more lighthearted. I would absolutely recommend this to readers who love learning about animals. I think the selections of photos throughout the book were very helpful and enjoyable.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an enjoyable read on animal behaviors. What a great way for children to learn about how different animals may act!