Death Eaters

October 1, 2018

Gr 4-7-Readers who enjoy the gross side of life (and death) will find this title to their liking. Halls begins with the death of a wild boar, and describes what and how the process of decomposition takes place. One chapter describes creepy-crawly creatures, such as blowflies, maggots, roly-polys, burying beetles, and meat ants. Furry animals, such as squirrels, skunks, and raccoons, hunt for their food, but are also willing to enjoy a free carrion meal. Halls also explains how various sea creatures help remove dead matter form the oceans. The author briefly describes "sky burials," which often take place in the mountains of Mongolia and Tibet in which a human corpse is offered to the vultures of the Larung Valley. (Family is permitted to observe the ritual, but tourists are not.) Burial at sea is also mentioned. Color photos of excellent quality vary in size, including full-page. Some captions are enlightening, while others repeat information already found in the longer narrative. White print in red boxes adds a great deal to the informative text. VERDICT Though there may be many "oohs" and "yucks" from readers, this may well be a popular title. A top purchase for robust collections.-Eldon Younce, Anthony Public Library, KS

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2018
Carrion (not soul) eaters crawl, trot, swim, fly, and...drive into the spotlight.After breaking down the stages of decomposition (which do "not smell good"), Halls dishes up profiles of some of nature's recyclers--from blowfly larvae ("born to eat") and the culinarily "versatile" pill bug to vultures, crabs, and human motorists. ("Why let the meat go to waste?" says a Washington state fish and wildlife official pragmatically about harvesting roadkill.) Along with dissecting decomposition's usual course, the author offers piquant research findings, such as the surprisingly divergent fates of pig corpses planted on the seabed in well- and less-well-oxygenated waters as well as recently discovered evidence that T. Rex was a hunter as well as a scavenger. The relegation of the fullest mentions of bacteria and fungi to the end conveys a misleading impression that their work doesn't begin until the bigger dogs (etc.) have had their fills, but the course of all deceased animals from corpse to scattered chemicals is otherwise clearly charted. Big, bright color photos of, for instance, salmon being torn apart by a bald eagle and a raccoon chowing down on a dead squirrel add further zest to these easily digestible observations. "Gross," to echo the author, but "also amazing." (index, further reading) (Nonfiction. 7-10)

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October 1, 2018
Grades 3-6 Halls enthusiastically breaks down the decomposition process in this systematic look at scavengers. Her introduction establishes death as a necessary part of the life cycle, declaring, Sure, it's gross, but it is also amazing. Her sense of wonder permeates the text, which strikes an admirable balance between putrescent and matter-of-fact details. After outlining the five stages of vertebrate decomposition, Halls devotes chapters to general categories of scavengers and decomposers (insects, mammals, birds, and marine critters) in the basic order in which they arrive at a carcass. The book's clean layout features well-chosen and positioned photos, diagrams, and fact boxes that make even gruesome information easy to digest. Flies and flesh-eating maggots get the ball rolling, followed by opportunistic eaters, such as raccoons, hyenas, and even bears. Avian appetites are triggered next, allowing seagulls, crows, and vultures to swoop in. A quick dip into the sea reveals a clean-up crew of crustaceans and bone-eating worms. By providing context and a big-picture approach to death, Halls equips young readers with understanding from which comfort and awe can grow.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Halls takes a matter-of-fact look at death and recycling in nature, with a focus on the organisms that decompose and digest previously living matter. Chapters cover the bacteria, microorganisms, and insects that first appear on the scene, as well as small mammals, birds, and crabs. Photographs of both the scavengers and the dead bodies of the scavenged are included. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)