World of Rot: Learn All about the Wriggly, Slimy, Super-Cool Decomposers We Couldn't Live Without

by Britt Crow-Miller, Bruno Valasse (Illustrator)

Overview

This fascinating book takes readers on a deep dive into the process of decay, from the science behind it to an up-close and personal look at the organisms that do the dirty work to make our planet livable. 

With a touch of humor and quirky full-color illustrations, kids will learn about the life-recycling system happening all around us—in the sea, in the soil, and even inside our own bodies. Profiles of decomposers such as hungry fungi and familiar worms, poop-slurping butterflies, and slimy banana slugs offer something to pique the curiosity of every kid. Readers will also learn the heroic role decomposers might play in fighting climate change and eating plastic. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635868982
Publisher:	Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	09/03/2024
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	61 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Britt Crow-Miller is the founding director of CityWild, a nonprofit organization with the mission of inspiring curiosity about the natural world through fun, exploration, and hands-on learning for kids and families, including those in underserved and historically marginalized communities. Her sustainability-related writing has been published by the Global Water Forum, State of the Planet, Huffington Post, and Harvard Business School. A parent to three young kids, Crow-Miller is also on the faculty in the Departments of Environmental Conservation and Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she directs the Sustainability Science graduate program. 
 

Editorial Reviews

"This is a worthy book for budding scientists and kids who appreciate slimy details. Fact mongers will be inspired."—School Library Journal, starred review

“Like a Mary Roach book for the young... [an] enticing paean to putrescence.”—Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 08/16/2024

Gr 4 Up—With humor and exceptional graphics, this book shares the importance of rot while also delivering an entertaining read. Definitions and specifics are the tools Crow-Miller uses to explain this disgusting and stinky world. The contents are divided into three parts—the Whats, the Wows, and the Team of Decomposers. Middle graders will be fascinated and motivated to read more by learning that pill bugs eat from both ends, dead whales are explosive, and butterflies get together to eat rot as a "puddle club." The vast world of decomposers broken into well-defined Saprotrophs and Detritivores is delivered in short factual blurbs among colorful depictions (with pronunciation guides in parentheses). Their significance is explained in such detail that readers may come to view this weird world differently as they spot decomposition in action. While they may not want to bring a straw, they will certainly appreciate a magnifying glass to accompany the six activities that follow the compelling presentation. Valasse's bright images look like layered screen prints. They are explanatory and engaging with a style reminiscent of both Basquiat and Mexican folk art. The illustrations will draw in readers while the information will keep them engaged, if for nothing more than the gross factor. VERDICT This is a worthy book for budding scientists and kids who appreciate slimy details. Fact mongers will be inspired.—Janet S. Thompson

School Library Journal