Death Eaters: Meet Nature’s Scavengers

Youngsters are curious about everything, and what happens after death is no exception. Fortunately for kids and the rest of us, Kelly Milner Halls has a new book that explains what happens to creatures after they die. Decomposition is not a fun subject, but Halls makes it a fascinating one, and she doesn’t pull punches about the process. Yes, it is often gross, but science is not always tidy. It usually starts with blowflies—a creature that lives for dead meat. They move in through “wet access” such as eyes or ears or open wounds and lay their eggs in the flesh which begins the process of decomposition; their eggs rapidly become larva (maggots). Rodents and other mammals join the fray as do birds and even fungi. In the water, crustaceans, fish, worms, and other creatures and plants take on the job. These misunderstood creatures help keep the earth and bodies of water clean. Without them, we would have a mess on our hands. Halls’s snappy writing along with her in-depth research and excellent storytelling technique makes this a book that will fascinate anyone lucky enough to get their hands on it.