TITLE/AUTHOR: Will the Cat Eat My Eyeballs: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death; Caitlin Doughty
PUBLISHER: W.W. Norton
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2019
GENRE: Non Fiction / Self Help
FORMAT: PP/LENGTH: 222 pp.
SOURCE: Library
SETTING(s): n/a
ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: A mortician answers kids questions about death and dead bodies, some serious and some strange.
BRIEF REVIEW: Caitlin Doughty is a mortician who has written several books on the topic of death. One of her books Smoke Gets in Your Eyes was one I read previously and felt was really well done. Will the Cat Eat My Eyeballs? , is question #1 in this book of 33 questions about death. Here are a few of the other curious and sometimes quirky questions children have asked: #8, How Does a Whole Body Fit into a Tiny Box After Cremation?, #15, What if they Make a Mistake and Bury Me When I'm Just in a Coma? #16, What Would Happen If I Died on a Plane?, #20, Can Everyone Fit into a Casket, What if They are Really Tall? #23, What Happens When a Cemetery is Full of Bodies and You Can't Add Any More?, #24, Is it True Once People See a White Light They are Dying? #27, Can You Describe the Smell of a Dead Body? #28 What Happens to Soldiers who Die Far Away in Battle and Their Bodies are Never Found? #29, Can I Be Buried in the Same Grave as My Hamster (or pet)? #33, At Grandma's Wake She was Wrapped in Plastic Under Her Blouse, Why Would They Do That?
Each question posed has an interesting illustration on one page (done by Dianne Ruz) as well as a detailed answer to each question on the page(s) which follows. Personally, I found most of the questions in this book to be quite interesting but, I couldn't imagine sharing the book or reading it to or with a child under the age of 12. There is a lot of information to process about death and what happens to the body when we die along. There is also a good amount of scientific information making this much more appropriate for mature teens and adults. I thought the answers, infused with humor at times, were mostly informative, concise and respectful. Definitely not a book for everyone but, I was happy to have read it.
RATING: 4/5 stars
My son would probably enjoy this one. He's into non fiction, so this is right up his alley.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like such an odd book for kids, but I guess everyone's curious about death to a certain extent.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about this one, especially after reading your review. The questions you listed are interesting! Not sure I'll read about the cats section, though.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great title! Having read her book Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, I think I would give this one a try one day. Glad to hear you found it interesting!
ReplyDeleteI remember you posting the first sentence of this book. I admit I am squeamish about dead bodies, so maybe not for me. I was dreaming about cats right before I woke up this morning.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to answer children's questions about death! It's such a taboo subject for a lot of people, yet we will all experience it eventually so making it less scary and unknown is fantstic.
ReplyDeleteI have been curious about this book since first hearing about it. I especially want to read her Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. I am glad you liked this one!
ReplyDeleteI've yet to read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes but I've heard a lot of good things about it. I'm intrigued by this book, too.
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