DIRTY, ROTTEN, DEAD?

An introduction to the cycle of digestion and decay considers the important role of death in the regeneration of life and presents activities that teach young readers about the nonliving parts of the body. Original.

Grade 5-8?This compendium of information on death and recycling in nature examines 17 tangentially related subjects in two-to-four page sections in an attractive, oversized format. The "dead" parts of the human body (e.g., hair, nails, epidermis, etc.); digestion and the excretion of bodily wastes; processing of sewage; water pollution; diseases and the immune system; and contemporary morticians' practices are among the topics briefly discussed. Directions for conducting nine experiments and a half dozen ecological projects are also given. In addition, the book offers five interviews with children who are either involved in private scientific study or in various efforts to protect the environment. Large watercolor paintings dominate most of the pages, with paragraphs of small-print text either surrounding the art or superimposed on it. Although the text is well organized and clearly written, there are some major flaws here. Adult participation in the experiments is referred to as an option, not a necessity. As some of the activities are potentially hazardous, this is a serious problem. One project involves spray painting a "Don't Dump" notice on storm drains. Another suggests that readers collect the corpse of a small, dead animal, bury it, and see how long it takes for ants and beetles to strip the carcass. Another suggests that children keep a "hit list" of road kill animals?not for the squeamish. Some of the projects require materials and equipment that most children will not be able to afford. Excellent titles are already available on the topic of death and natural recycling such as Elizabeth Ring's What Rot! (Millbrook, 1996) and Bianca Lavies's Compost Critters (Dutton, 1993).?Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.