World of Rot - Britt Crow-Miller - ★★★★.¼

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AUTHOR: Britt Crow-Miller
GENRE: Children's Nonfiction, Nature
PUBLICATION DATE: September 3, 2024
RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: An enlightening book about the world of decomposition and decomposers. Excellent info and presentation. Much recommended!


Most people go ‘Ewwwww!’ at the thought of rot, but the fact is that decomposition has a big role to play in our lives, whether within our body, on our body, in our homes and local communities, or even in the world at large. Whether we like it or not, decomposition helps keep our world clean. Decomposing matter also results in yummy food items such as sourdough bread and yoghurt.

This book begins with a brief introductory note about the importance of rot and creatures who help in the rotting process. “Rot can’t happen without life and life can’t happen without rot.” – this simple and honest sentence in the note sums up how vital decomposition is to our world. I also love the correlation the note makes between composition and decomposition.

The main content is organised into three chapters with multiple subtopics, the main sections being the essentials of rot, interesting decomposition trivia, and important decomposers. The structure of the information is evident in the table of contents as well as in the individual pages, with each page presenting the information in neatly structured blocks.

The content is comprehensive beyond belief. Almost every aspect of how rot exists everywhere around us is covered in detail. I appreciate how the book also talks about things that don’t decompose and how these affect our environment. (Stop using balloons, people!)

The language gets a bit difficult only when scientific terms are in use. Otherwise, the vocabulary is fairly manageable for older tweens and teens. The first section would be great for younger tweens as well.

The illustrations are not in a style I enjoy, but they do work to a great extent. There is a limited palette (with only yellow, green and red used predominantly, as you can see on the cover.) I guess the colours are restricted to the colours of decomposition in nature, though I am not sure about this. I wish that there were actual photos of the creatures mentioned in the decomposers section. Illustrations can go only so far! Information about real animals always works better with real images.

There are many activities at the end of the book, all connected to understanding the process of decomposition and the activities of decomposers. These might not be to the taste of all parents, and some could be mildly risky if done without adult guidance. So it would be better to tackle the activities section together, especially if the child is on the younger side.

Definitely recommended. This would be a great resource in classrooms as well as libraries, and would also make a great gift to every little nature-lover.

My thanks to Storey Publishing for providing the DRC of “World of Rot” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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