It’s always a treat when an author friend has a new book drop and wants to share it with the GROG. This week’s treat from Jessica Fries-Gaither, a nonfiction picture book, is a trick as well as a treat. Beware… some of the 20 animals featured in So Rude: Animals Behaving Badly, may even keep you up at night! Imagine rude, crude creatures like the Eastern Hognose snake, or Turkey vultures, or a Tongue-eating louse. If I have your attention, just imagine how kinder-middle schoolers will react to this book that shares unique animal behaviors even your Mom would look at in askance!
So Rude: Animals Behaving Badly is engaging “browseable” nonfiction that enables readers to dip in and out of content to focus on what interests them most. This feature is especially helpful for younger readers who may not be ready to tackle longer pieces of text and for school librarians interested in sparking curiosity for research projects. As author, nonfiction expert Melissa Stewart says browseable nonfiction features “eye-catching design, lavishly illustrated along with short blocks of straightforward text.” Fries-Gaither’s newest from Millbrook Press combines unusual facts (Hippos throw their waste around!), compelling photographs, and great book design.
As a practicing science teacher for over 20 years, Jessica Fries-Gaither knows how to entice students and teach about animal behaviors simultaneously. She combines humor and employs the “ick” factor that elementary students love. Back matter with a glossary, further explanation of animal behavior, and list of books for further reading make this a winning book for kids and educators alike.
Craft Chat
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| Jessica and I met up at the Ohioana Book Festival. |
Kathy: So Rude features so many animals behaving badly. How did you whittle down the list to the 20 most rude for the book? Which animal, in your opinion, has the highest "ick/cringe" factor? (For me, my husband and I agreed it’s the tongue-eating louse! Yikes!)
Jessica: I started my research process by brainstorming a list of rude behaviors (lying, cheating, stealing, etc.) and then looked for animals that exhibited them. That gave me a great place to start, and many of the 20 came from that process. I also tend to bookmark articles I find interesting and think I might be able to use someday in either my writing or teaching, and several animals came from that massive collection.
As for the highest “ick” factor, there’s no competition in my mind. The tongue-eating louse wins that gold medal. Everyone–from my critique group to the team at Millbrook–has commented something along the lines of “EWWWW!”
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| YIKES! It's the tongue-eating louse! |
Kathy:I love the visual appeal of this book. For new nonfiction writers or those considering writing nonfiction, can you explain the structure idea adding speech bubbles, text boxes, and photographs to shape this book? Did you have input in the design, or did Millbrook Press/Lerner take the lead on this?
Jessica: I think the book is so visually appealing, and that’s all due to the Millbrook Press/Lerner team. The book is part of their photo-illustrated STEM series (the same series that my previous title, Nature’s Rule Breakers: Creatures That Don’t Fit In belongs to), so it was always going to include the captivating photographs. But the speech bubbles and text boxes were all thanks to the talented design team!
Kathy: Tell us about your research process for So Rude: Animals Behaving Badly. I know you'll have some great tips, since you spent last year as an Einstein Fellow at the Library of Congress! What are your favorite go-to science resources?
Jessica: I get a lot of ideas from popular science articles that land in my inbox or come across my social media feed: National Geographic, Science Daily, Live Science, etc. After reading those, I always try to track down the original scientific paper that the article was based on. I have a degree in biology, so making sure I understand the original findings and as many nuances as I can understand is important to me. Just check out my bibliography for the book! But I’m also not above Google searches for terms like “rude animals” when I get stuck! I cast a wide net and then make sure I read well on the specific examples I choose.
Kathy: Review sources state that this book is aimed at preschoolers or readers ages 4-9. Since you're a practicing science educator and I'm a former middle grade teacher and K-12 school librarian, I'm interested in where you see this book fitting in both the curriculum and grade bands. I feel intermediate and middle school students would love this book.
Jessica: If I’m being completely honest, I was really surprised to see that preschool designation in the reviews. Millbrook/Lerner’s series is aimed at grades K-2, to the best of my knowledge, and I knew I was landing on the higher end of that range with some of the vocabulary and technical information I chose to include. In my experience, kids really enjoy the stretch in concepts and vocabulary that a read-aloud can provide, and you can always simplify a read-aloud for younger children.
From a curricular perspective, I think this fits well in both primary and upper elementary grades. The Next Generation Science Standards include Disciplinary Core Ideas around animal behavior in both 1st and 4th grades that align with the examples and message of the book. And while I find that picture books can be a tough sell to middle school students, I think they would definitely enjoy the content!
No one is behaving badly at Cover to Cover Books for Young Readers!
Kathy: So Rude just came out at the beginning of October. How are you celebrating and promoting this book? Tell us about school visits, bookstore events, and activities that educators and parents can access. Do you have an educator guide?
Jessica: I had a fun launch event at my favorite local independent children’s bookstore, Cover to Cover Books for Kids. In the month of November, I’ll be at the Buckeye Book Fair in Wooster, OH on Saturday, November 1 and at Books By the Banks in Cincinnati on Saturday, November 15. Technically, I’m promoting another book at these events (Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions), but I’ll have a display copy of So Rude! and ordering information for those who are interested.
Ironically, even though I’m a teacher, I haven’t created educator guides for my books. Perhaps I need to consider that as a future project.
About Jessica Frie-Gaither
Jessica is an experienced science educator and an award-winning author of books for students and teachers. Her titles include So Rude: Animals Behaving Badly, Nature's Rule Breakers: Creatures That Don't Fit In, Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings, Exemplary Evidence: Scientists and Their Data, Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions, and Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms. She is currently a 2024-2025 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the Library of Congress.
Jessica's Social Media Contacts
www.jessicafriesgaither.com
https://www.facebook.com/jfriesgaither
Instagram @JessicaFGWrites
BlueSky: @jessicafgwrites.bsky.social
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-fries-gaither-14407233/
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