World of Rot

“World of Rot” tells the story of the helper organisms that break down matter. Author Brittany Leigh Crow-Miller provides an overview of decomposition and rot in the natural world and gives the reader an introduction to all of the organisms that help make our world not so stinky. The text is enhanced by delightful illustrations and commentary.

This book reminds me of some of the Klutz Press books in the early 1990s. The tone is playful, but is imparting serious and complex information. The back of the book contains ideas for experimentation so that the reader can learn about rot through personal observation.

This book is great for kids of all ages interested in the natural world. This would be a great addition to an upper elementary classroom library or as an example of a high-quality non-fiction picture book in a high school classroom library.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Storey Publishing, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had to read this based on the title and it is just as gross and fun as it sounds. It's also highly informative, easy to read, and gives readers great ideas about how they can learn more on their own by doing simple experiments.
I do think my favorite part was how in the beginning, you go through your house and look at your own body so you will never stop thinking about how much decomposition is happening all the time. My next favorite part was the explanation on why not to mess with giant whale corpses.
I highly recommend this for kids or adults who want to think about the natural world
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This read was so incredibly detailed and much more scientific than I could have imagined. While it was absolutely jam-packed with information, the book keeps a light, and often humorous, time between its the short blurbs found on each page amidst the main text and the colorful and imaginative art style.

This book begins with a portion explaining the science of rot and decomposition, moves on to a section of amazing facts and stories, and ends with an in depth exploration of several decomposers. The very end of this book even includes a few experiments to try in the classroom or at home.

Bonus points for mentioning one of my all time favorite oopsies - the 1970s Oregon coast dynamite explosion of a whale carcass. Let’s say that plan to quickly decompose large matter didn’t go as planned. Oops.

I highly recommend this for upper elementary age readers.

Thanks NetGalley and Storey Publishing for a copy of this ARC.

This cover, overall art style, and topic drew me in right away and kept me reading! World of Rot is a great book for kids ages 8 and up. There are quite a lot of words and a lot of pages, but the vivid art, diagrams, and humor make it much less intimidating than a typical non-fiction book might be. Several topics within the overall "rot" theme are discussed like foods, animals, and why rotting is important to our world. It is a book that could be read for the art alone too. The color scheme, quirky art style, and macabre nature of the book are so unique.
Publishes on: 9/3/2024
(Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

World of Rot has wonderful artwork and accessible educator for learners reading around 4th grade. It explains how decomposition works, examples of rot, and how important it is for life. It is a great book for nature-lovers, especially your little worm gatherers or fungi nerds.

This book is perfect for my class and our school library. It engages the reader through great colours and illustrations of rot. My students will love learning about all things rot, decomposers and decomposition inside their bodies. The rotten explorations and activities will be a huge hit.

My second grader and I loved this book! We read a few pages at a time at bedtime.

I would say it would be more appropriate academically for an upper elementary kiddo, and as an adult, I learned some fun facts too! For my second grader, she loved the many fun facts and humor throughout. The scientific names and higher level scientific explanations were beyond her level, but the humor and amazingly weird and colorful illustrations kept her attention and helped me explain the processes.

Sections include general definitions and explanations of the decomposition process. Then examples of decomposition in the world around us (with some great facts about millions of mites in our house around us, exploding whales, fermentation vs rotting, etc. The next section goes through a bunch of examples of types of decomposers, and finally a few easy at home science experiments.

Overall an amazing book! We reviewed an e-book advance copy from NetGalley and Storey Publishing. We will be adding a hard copy to our shelves as soon as it’s out! My daughter is very excited to add it to her shelves!!

Ahhhhh, YES!! I always love a book about yucky stuff so I was excited to see this one. The art is fun and beautiful, the facts are awesome—I know a lot about this stuff and *I* learned things from this book. Cannot wait to get this one out to the kiddos and beyond.

Okay, this book is SO COOL!! Thank you NetGalley for the chance to check this book out. I absolutely adore the illustrations just as much as the wildly interesting information given. This is such a fascinating topic, and Britt Crow-Miller 100% nailed it!! Not only did I learn a ton of new things, but my kids have now learned how things decompose all over the place 😳😳😂. A great pick for anyone wanting to learn more about our world in an easy digestible (see what I did there!) way.

Fantastic nonfiction picture book! Perfect for kids that like gross stuff, the information about each thing is given in bite sized pieces. The illustrations remind me of color blocked prints. Some school aged kids will love digging until this book. I also love the experiments and activities at the end!

The most beautiful book on decomposition! Super informative while staying interesting. The illustrations are fun and eye catching. Can't wait to hold the physical copy in my hands!

Using colorful illustrations, this delectable nonfiction book teaches us all about rot and decomposition in the world. Broken down into three parts, this book begins by focusing on describing the what, when, where, how, and why. Then, it dives deeper into the amazing facts behind decomposition and then the last section is dedicate to the who—all the amazing creatures who help with the decomposition process in nature. The end of our book includes experiments to see rot happen in real life and ends with a helpful index.

I am in love with World of Rot. I digested it in less than a day and wanted more! The illustration are amazing and the description/information are easy to understand and comprehend. This would be wonderful for advanced elementary school kids or teachers to add to their school library. Even as an adult, this book was entertaining and the humor kept me wanting more. As a biology graduate from college, I would definitely recommend this book to any parent that wants to entertain and educate their kid at the same time. This would be wonderful to read together!

And as a bonus it has at home labs at the end of the book!

A really well done book about the animals and organisms that help keep our world neat. It is a longer book and might be best for older elementary school children. For those who are a bit squeamish, the pictures are illustrations rather than photographs. There is a lot of text, but it's broken into sections with a table of contents for reference. It's also attractively laid out.

A great choice for children who love the ick factor but want to learn about lesser known creatures.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I will purchase for my library.

I just read World of Rot by Britt Crow-Miller. The book was easy to read, and the information was very well presented. The book informs you of the what, where, how and why of Rot. It also explains how and why things decompose, and examples of different types of rot and how they decompose. The illustrations were absolutely beautiful. I am recommending World of Rot to our school librarian and hope we can add it to our library next fall when it releases.

This was a fantastic resource for both young readers and adults alike. I thought the illustrations were charming, but still demonstrated some challenging subjects in a way that was accessible to children. As an educator, I’m looking forward to purchasing this book and utilizing it with my students!

The first thing that attracted me to this book was the colorful pictures and quirky introduction by the author, a self-titled "former kid'. I think this would also attract kids in grades 3 - 5. I liked how the first few pagestakes the time to define an important word in the text, for example, "compose" and to give examples of how the word could be used in different ways.

The illustrations throughout the text help the readers to see exactly what is being described and I enjoyed seeing how the words used in the text do not baby the readers. Actual scientific terms are utilzed and defined when needed. Describing compost as a "recipe for rot" takes an ordinary scienfitic process into and turns it into a fun activity for the kids reading the book. I especially involved the pages on how we use "rot" in our foods uch as blue cheese and tofu.

I would recommend this book to any curious child or teacher of science.

Such a great book for kids as it is informational and entertaining all at the same time! It teaches kids how decomposition works and makes it a fun experience!

Delightful book about the creatures that help to break down rotting materials. Beautiful illustrations, fun and interesting scientific facts for kids and adults, along with cool experiments. I learned a lot about organisms I often see, such as slime molds and snails, along with others I learned of from the book, such as snow fleas. Recommended.

This was a pretty cool book.

It’s more for late elementary/middle school children. My 12 year enjoyed the book. There were parts where he was squeamish, because boys, but outside of that, he enjoyed the book a lot.

There was a lot of info in this book, even down to how decomposition happens in more than just nasty/gross places. The depictions were pretty awesome too.

This is def a book I’d keep on the book shelf.


We volunteered to read this ARC through NetGalley

I very much enjoyed reading this book! Other readers will enjoy it as well, especially if science and nature are appreciated.

As the title says, the book is all about rot and how it is decomposed with help from so many animals and insects. I promise it will make you think twice about what is happening the next time you see roadkill. This is a wonderful book to read out loud to kids. The illustrations are colorful and detailed that will draw in attention to see what the author is telling in the facts.

As a homeschooler, I can see this book becoming a full unit study because of so many topics. I noticed at the beginning of many of the paragraphs there are questions asked, which allows for thought and engagement from young readers. I can tell that the author wanted to mention as many decomposers as possible with meticulous factual information. It was done so greatly and everything was easy to read and understand.

A definite recommendation!

who would have thought I'd be describing a book about decomposition as cute!

the illustrations are just so awesome and quirky. such an informative and fun book that will change the way young children see the world around them

A great book for kids that want to explore how things rot! It was surprisingly scientific which was great as I thought it was going to be more surface level. Both me and my kids learned new things! The illustrations were also brilliant and fitted the theme so well.

Beyond impressed with this children's nonfiction book. Kids who are interested in "gross" stuff like worms, mold, and bugs will want to check this one out, and kids who are grossed out or even have a phobia of these things would surely be comforted to learn about how the gross parts of nature are here for a reason - to break down nutrients so new life can grow. The illustrations are both beautiful and fun, and the text is brilliantly written to help kids understand complicated topics. I actually learned a ton from this book myself! I would 100% recommend for a children's library or science class.

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. This book is amazing. Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for an e-arc to read and review honestly. I went right away upon finishing to pre-order a hard copy.

The illustrations are so beautiful! They're a wonderful, whimsical balance between realistic and artistic. I love, love, love that this book doesn't shy from death or the gross in the art, but is still in a beautiful color palette and drawn to encourage awe and wonder and respect.

It's easy to read, easy to read-aloud with kids, and well organized. My 5 and 7 yr old boys LOVE books like this, even though it's marked for an older age group. This would make a wonderful addition to the homeschooler's library! I get so excited about kid's books that are a delight for the adult who purchase and teach them, and this book is a perfect example of what that can and should look like!

Like other reviewers, I was drawn in by the title as my current class are fascinated by all things disgusting.
As an adult, I learned so much from reading this book. It is jam packed with interesting information which is carefully broken up into short, digestible chunks. I was intrigued by the amount of decomposition which happens all around us without us even noticing! The illustrations are charming and will certainly appeal to an wide audience base.
I can't wait to share this!

This is a super childlike and clever way to explain to them the process and backstory surrounding decay and decomposition! It’s a fun educational outlet for kids who like the unique. Plus the illustrations are lovely and so abstract!

Extremely well done! Great colourful design, with a wink. Perfectly understandable, bite sized informations that feel complete but not overwhelming. Including a wide range of critters, fungi and bacteria, as well as processes, newest scientific research knowledge and even fun experiments to do. Not only great for kids but also grown ups. 5 out of 5 stars!

The World of Rot is a gross book in all the best ways. Its focus is on decomposers in every environment from sea to land. Some decomposers made me squirm a bit, but it’s wonderful to know that every living organism has an important job to do keeping our planet clean.
I think this book is great for the late elementary to high school. It has a variety of vocabulary that can be used for classroom discussions.
I also enjoyed that the author provided some experiments for the extremely curious crowd. I would recommend this book and use it in my own classes and publish the experiments for students to do with their families.

I would like to thank #netgalley, author and publishers for providing me an ARC

This absolutely fascinating and beautifully illustrated book tells the reader all about the creatures that live among us - from dung beetles and slugs, to crabs, pill bugs and sea cucumbers. Presented in a wonderfully interesting manner that will appeal to any curious individual from childhood through to old age. Every day is a school day, and this book even provides some experiments for seeing how things that help rot/eat rotten things work and change.

This book was super cute! I have a young daughter that I will definitely be sharing this with this spring. I think it's a great teaching tool for both parents and educators. Illustrated beautifully, this book is a really great choice for an informative look into composting. While this is geared towards younger kids, I think this is consumable by many. Thank you for letting me read this arc! :)

I really enjoyed the book, it's perfect for any nature lovers and anyone interested in biology.

The illustrations are beautiful for the subject matter. They are bold and easy to catch your eye especially for younger audience. My favourite part was the 5 different stages of an animal decomposition.

This book brought back memories of my university days, when I was studying for my photography degree. One unit I had to create a project based around a letter, I was using a paint balling one. This lead me to the idea of pain and then onto the idea of death. Where I decided to photograph decaying animals (roadkill, I should point out) which for my final pieces I was photographing taxidermy and styled to look like paintings.

I would have definitely would have loved this as a child. As it has always been a fascination of mine about life and death. This book suddenly doesn't shy upon the theme. Death needs to spoken about a lot more with younger people and make it more normal rather than being viewed as a taboo. This is nature and this is what happens. Rot is one of the most important things for our ecosystems. It's natures way of recycling. To help make everything grows, stay health and to get food that everyone needs. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about decaying and a very good book to have in libraries and schools.

Thank you Netgalley and Storey Publishing for a copy of the book for an honest review.

The World of Rot was such a fun read! With amazing illustrations and humorous explanations, this book is perfect for learning about processes of compost and decay.

It answers questions about why rotting organisms smell, what happens when a whale dies, and what critters are behind so much of the decomposition we might encounter in our daily lives. There are many activities in the book that are sure to help kids engage with the topic. I think this would be a great addition to classrooms and could make for some fun class lessons.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC!

Very fascinating look at all things decay and decomposition in the natural world. This is one that I definitely want in our permanant collection!

The book is as you would expect, kind of gross but in a good way as it's all about things that ROT! I can see kids loving this type of book. It's quite informative. It's jam-packed with information on all kinds of different things that rot—recommended for older children since animals and humans are mentioned for decomposition.

Interesting and engaging. The author did a great job of explaining complex concepts . Artwork is beautiful

It weird, its gross, its unusual but informative. Kids will learn alot from this book about how those creepy crawlers do the dirty work to help our planet.

A comprehensive and unique, funny and creative book about rot. It can be read in order or be used a reference book on the topic of rot. The aesthetic style is both warm and a bit grotesque - fitting. The language is witty - a bit sardonic? Though this is fresh and fitting too.

It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it! When we empty our vegetable peelings onto the compost heap, we can’t help but turn up our noses. The smell of rotting grass and vegetation can turn even the strongest of stomachs! Gross, right? Wrong. The process of decomposition is life-giving and this book, full of quirky illustrations, helps us to see things in a whole new way. The sooner we start to see our planet as a wonderful world of rot, full of wriggly, slimy, super-cool decomposers we couldn’t live without, the better.

Aimed at Book Clubbers age 8-12, this fascinating hardback teaches us (with a light smattering of humour to help the facts stick) how decomposition happens and the organisms which do it, what speeds the rotting process up and the stages of animal decomp and how these stages are used by scientists and crime labs to date a death. We all know how stinky the stench that comes from anything rotten is, but through reading, we learn about where the smells come from and the various gases produced by anaerobic bacteria. Did you know that the Corpse Lilly and some other plants mimic the smell of rotting flesh to attract flies enhancing their pollination process. So next time you are looking for a gift to take to someone that is having you over for dinner, be sure to avoid this aisle at the garden centre!

Exploring Decomposition ‘WOWS’, food and medicines derived from rot, how the process works inside our own body to breakdown foods, fossil fuels and rot resistance, we were absolutely fascinated by the whole book. With activities and experiments too, this is a one stop rot shop! So let’s hear it for the detritivores and the saprotrophs and celebrate this amazing (and gross) wondrous world!

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Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for sending this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

This is such a fun, informative, well-illustrated book on decay and composition. Both my 6 and 7 year old were enthralled. The format, explanations, and level of detail was balanced and entertaining. I can’t wait to pick up this hard copy as I know it’ll be read through for several years to come.

Amazing books about small organisms that help us continue to thrive on earth! I love the illustrations and the simple explanations. Each chapter tells stories and brings awareness. Recommended!

A brilliant picture book on the less pretty side of nature! This book explains the natural cycle after a plant or animal dies, or how materials break down. With chapters on plant matter, animal matter, and the creatures that are vital to the decomposition cycle, this was actually a fascinating read for this grown up reader too!
Kids will love the gooey, gross details of decomposition, but there are also really important messages in the book about the environment (such as how long man-made waste takes to break down, and fossil fuels) and the importance of every creature, even tiny ones, in the cycle.
Death is a difficult topic, and I think this book is factual but very accessible and kid-friendly. I already know I’m going to buy a copy of this for a budding David Attenborough I know!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is absolutely brilliant!! Decomposers are so often overlooked but this book lets them shine. The illustrations are gorgeous and suit the topic of decomposition wonderfully. There is plenty of information provided in a way that makes it easy for children of all ages to digest but it also doesn't sugar coat the topic. The World of Rot would make a fantastic addition to any public or personal library!

Very, very cool.

This is an amazing book. My girls and I love reading anything educational that has to do with biology, the ecosystem, etc. I appreciate it even more when they are getting exposure to more elevated concepts. For example, they know that things rot, but why they rot and the process is difficult to explain. This book assists in breaking it down to expose them to terms like oxygen, molecules, glucose. This is something we will be looking at over and over again.

The illustrations and bright colors help make this a fun and exciting way to learn about our world and what happens when things "rot"

Ages 2 and 5.

Thank you NetGalley, Storey Publishing, and Britt Crow-Miller for allowing my family to review such a fun and educational book.

Listen, if your little readers are anything like mine, the grossest parts of nature are everything. WORLD OF ROT absolutely hits the spot. The 10yo had just finished a science project on wetlands and was pretty delighted to learn more about decomposition. We learned a lot and the illustrations are colorful, bold, and captivating. A perfect read for young readers who are fascinated by how nature works. A definite addition to our bookcase. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Beautiful illustrations and great content in this non fiction title that will suit public library and school library collections.

Loved the witty way in which the book is written. It is full of gruesome facts presented in a comprehensive and not undermining way. The jokes work well and I believe if I had read it about two decades ago, I would have loved to try out the suggested decomposition experiments.
The illustration manages to humorously distract a bit from some of the honestly disgusting facts.

▪️ This is a unique book about the fascinating world of decay and decomposition. The book delves into the science of rot – from the organisms that help with the process to the benefits that decaying and decomposing materials provide to the environment.

▪️ The illustrations are quite unique – artistic, creative, and informative.

▪️ The information in the book is very detailed but often described with humor. Young readers will chuckle as they learn about microbial feasts and the decomposition buffet. Who knew rot could be so entertaining?

▪️ If you were ever curious about exploding dead whales, the stages of decomp, or how many bugs are in your house right now, this is the book for you! I found it to be quite interesting and I know I would have loved this as a kid.

▪️ Teachers, take note! This book belongs in science classrooms. It sparks curiosity, encourages thinking, and instills an appreciation for the unsung heroes of decomposition.

Thank you @netgalley and Storey Publishing for copy of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This non-fiction title is filled with earthy information all about soil, compost and.. rot! Each spread is covered with fun spot illustrations, related information that keeps the readers engaged by its short length, This is definitely information that is covered in my Ontario science curriculum, I loved the activities at the back - that’s what the kids love best!

I know they would also love learning all about the many creepy-crawlies involved in decomposition/the food chain. This book is fantastic for transitional readers. This would be a great NF addition to any library or classroom collection.

I would read this in multiple sittings for my class ages 3-6. Great information, EXTREMELY thorough!

This a beautiful book about a gross topic. Avoid it if you are overly sensitive as obviously it discusses death and decomposition. The illustrations are beautiful and reduce the ick factor of some of the information. Very informative and I think will be enjoyed by children 8+ who like to know how things work

As a fifth grade teacher, I am always looking for science resources on decomposition, so was really excited for this book. It did not disappoint and I can see it having a permanent place in my classroom. There is so much information about decomposition, different types of decomposers, and where decomposition happens. The icing on the cake was the section at the end of various decomposition related experiments, some of which I plan to use in class this year.

The illustrations are bold, bright, and age appropriate. The book uses technical and scientific vocabulary in a way that is accessible to students. I think this is a great resource for any class studying food webs or decomposition.

What is decomposition and what makes it happen? Where, How, and Why are shown and explained in a fairly simple manner. Lots of factoids are included like: a single person can leave 25,000 pounds of poop in a lifetime. There is an index at the end. Worth the read!
The illustrations by Bruno Valasse are somewhat impressionistic yet clear, colorful, and fun!
Well suited for reading alone or WITH someone of any age 8 - 102 including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Storey Publishing | Storey Publishing, LLC via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail Sep 03, 2024

World of Rot is a gorgeous picture book that shows an in-depth look at decomposition and fungi. I loved how informative this book was and how much I learned! The illustrations are gorgeous and the subject matter was absolutely fascinating! Perfect for any kiddos (or adults!) who want to learn more about the natural world!

Thanks to NetGalley, Britt Crow-Miller, and Storey Publishing for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.

LOVE LOVE the illustrations in this book. Even as an adult reader this book taught me new information in a fun intriguing way. kids love gross science, so I can absolutley see some young readers loving this book!!