What kid doesn’t love to bend the rules here and there? One of my favorite books growing up was The Monster at the End of this Book. I loved when Grover begged me not to turn the page, and all the excitement of being able to break the rules a little bit. There are lots of fun interactive books that break the rules, so I decided to gather a list of rule breaking books for all the rebel kids out there.

Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received a copy of Don’t Look Behind Door 32 in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Don’t Ever Look Behind Door 32 was written by B.C.R. Fegan and illustrated by Lenny Wen. This fun twist on a counting book takes readers inside the magical Hotel of Hoo. As the host Nicholas Noo takes you through all of the rooms in the hotel, he frequently reminds the reader to not look behind door 32. Each room is full of fantastical beasts and magical creatures, leading the reader to wonder what could possibly be behind the forbidden door. The illustrations are detailed and colorful, while the rhyming text has a fun and peppy rhythm to it. When you get to the door in question, kids will be excited to ignore the rules and peek behind it. Check out the activities we paired with this book here!

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! was written and illustrated by Mo Willems. When the bus driver takes a little break, he asks the reader to take care of things for a bit. His one real piece of advice is to not let the pigeon drive the bus. Naturally, when the reader meets the pigeon, that’s all the pigeon wants to do! This popular story follows the pigeon as he begs, pleads, and eventually throws a tantrum, all of which is shown in Willems’ cartoon style illustrations. Kids will love being in charge and having the opportunity to say no!

Rule Breaking Books with Monsters

Another Monster at the End of This Book was written by Jon Stone and illustrated by Michael Smollin. This sequel to the classic The Monster at the End of This Book, revisits Grover the friendly monster, now joined by his friend Elmo. Grover doesn’t want to get to the end of the book, but Elmo is very excited to see the monster at the end. As Elmo encourages the reader to keep turning pages, Grover tries to create all kinds of obstacles to stop them. Kids will love getting through Grover’s traps and helping the monsters find their way to the cute ending.

Never Touch a Monster was written by Rosie Greening and illustrated by Stuart Lynch. This bright and colorful board book is full of funny monsters with tactile patches for little ones to explore. The rhyming text warns readers of all the reasons why they shouldn’t touch a monster, but the fun touch and feel pages will encourage them to break those rules.

Don’t Push the Button was written and illustrated by Bill Cotter. This hilarious book is a favorite of ours. The little monster named Larry warns the reader to never push the button. Once they do push it, chaos ensues. This book was featured on my list of interactive books since my daughter loves ignoring Larry’s advice and then manipulating the book to undo the damage that the button does.

Don’t Touch This Book was also written and illustrated by Bill Cotter. This book is the follow up to Don’t Push the Button. This book also stars Larry, the friendly purple monster. Larry tells the reader that they should not touch his book. Once they do, all sorts of colorful chaos starts to fill the pages.

What Happens When You Open These Books?

Do Not Open This Book! was written by Michaela Muntean and illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre. The pig in the story starts out the book by scolding the reader for opening the book, when the cover clearly states not to. He doesn’t want you to read it, because it hasn’t been written yet! As the reader continues through the pages, the pig’s story is thrown into chaos. The comical story is paired with busy illustrations that portray the chaos of writing and creating.

Warning: Do Not Open This Book! was written by Adam Lehrhaupt and illustrated by Matthew Forsythe. As the title suggests, opening this book can unleash all kinds of chaos. When the reader ignores all of the warnings and continues through the book, the pages are filled with monkeys, toucans and more. The simple text is accompanied by fun cartoon illustrations that kids will find entertaining.

Do Not Open This Book was written by Andy Lee and illustrated by Heath McKenzie. The hilarious little character at the center of this fun book spends the whole story convincing the reader not to turn the pages. He becomes more desperate as the book continues, using a variety of persuasive measures to convince readers to stop. The illustrations also become more frantic and entertaining, pairing well with the fast moving story.

More Posts You May Enjoy: