Animals Don't, So I Won't! - by David G Derrick Jr (Hardcover)

About the Book

Ben loves pretending he is an animal. But when his mom say, "Clean up for dinner," Ben claims, "Animals don't, so I won't." However, he doesn't expect two can play the same game! Full color.

Book Synopsis

It's not unusual that a son doesn't listen to his mother. However, it is extraordinary that both astoundingly transform into animals to make their points!

Ben loved pretending he was an animal. But when his mom said, "clean up for dinner," Ben claimed, "Animals don't, so I won't." However, he didn't expect two could play the same game! Next child and parent transform into penguins, leopards, bears, and more animals in a humorous and enlightening dance of wits. This inventive tale reinvents the familiar bedtime routine.

Both adults and kids will enjoy this amusing adventure, illustrated in colorful watercolors by an accomplished Disney and DreamWorks animator. An engaging twist on the "he said, she said" narrative delivers interesting facts about animal behavior with welcome doses of knowing understanding and humor. The author, a father with two kids, draws from personal experience to sympathize with both sides in the running (and swimming) debate.

This contest is like Ben10 meeting Dr. Doolittle! This game of "Catch me if you can" will make a satisfying storytime for parents, grandparents, caregivers, elementary school teachers, and children's librarians.

"My boys love this story; they listen to it while hanging like a sloth or roaring like a lion... the story is imaginative and sparks their imaginations and the artwork is simply wonderful."
- Geek Mom

From the Back Cover

Ben loved pretending he was an animal. So when his mom said, "Clean up for dinner," Ben claimed, "Animals don't, so I won't."

However, he didn't expect two could play the same game!

Next, child and parent transform into penguins, leopards, bears, and much more in an escalating game of wit and humor. This inventive tale reinvents the familiar bedtime routine.

Review Quotes

"Dave Derrick has created a fantastic picture book that is entertaining, informative, and laugh out loud funny. When you add in his expertly drawn gestural illustrations, you have, simply, perfection. I wish I had thought of this!" - Chris Van Dusen, illustrator of Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson book series

"The animals and their actions are well-chosen for child appeal. Pen-and-ink drawings with watercolor wash combine realistic images with the fantasy of this parent-child game...The clever premise of this well-worked-out story is likely to appeal as much to adults as to the children they get to share it with." - Kirkus Reviews


"Dave's curiosity for the natural world is always obvious to me in his work, and he transfers that love for life to whoever chances upon it. His drawings and compositions show the wonder of the natural world, while his humor and his story layer it with life." - Matt Nolte, Character Designer, Pixar, and illustrator of Brave: One Perfect Day

About the Author

David Derrick is the author of the children's picture books Sid the Squid and the Search for the Perfect Job, I'm the Scariest Thing in the Jungle, and Play with your Food. A story artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios, David worked on the movies Moana and new The Lion King. At DreamWorks Animation, he worked on the films Megamind, How to Train Your Dragon, and Rise of the Guardians, based on the book by William Joyce.

A sculptor of wildlife in bronze, he studied fine art at the University of Utah and graduated from California Institute of the Arts (CALARTS), where his films garnered many awards including a student Emmy.

Cartoon Brew reviewed Sid the Squid: "this charming book reads like a classic animated feature that never was...Fun, and with an inspiring message. Perfect for kids of all ages."