Do you have any burning questions about death that you’ve just felt too squeamish to ever ask? Well, children have no such qualms. In her latest release, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?, mortician Caitlin Doughty answers real questions from real kids about death, dead bodies, and decomposition. I’ve been a fan of Caitlin Doughty since her early Ask a Mortician days on Youtube, and have reviewed her previous two books: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and From Here to Eternity. So you bet I was first in line to snag a review copy of her newest book aimed at her youngest fans. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death comes out tomorrow, September 10.
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? provides answers to dozens of questions, ranging from the simple mechanics of death (Why do we turn colors when we die? Will my hair keep growing in my coffin after I’m buried?) to imaginative scenarios only a child could dream up (What would happen if you swallowed a bag of popcorn before you die and were cremated?) No matter how outlandish the question, Caitlin provides a thoughtful, thorough answer over the course of several pages, drawing on her experience in the funeral industry, her personal familiarity with dead bodies, and a wealth of outside resources. So, is this book appropriate for children? Well, if your kid is capable of reading chapter books and doesn’t shy away from talk of dead bodies, I’d say so! Caitlin doesn’t dumb her answers down or talk down to her audience, nor does she spare them the gory details of death and decomposition. However, she does couch her explanations in vivid, accessible language and maintains an upbeat tone sprinkled with humor to keep things from getting too scary. But I think the part that kids and adults will like best are the pictures! Dianné Ruz provides stark black-and-white illustrations for each chapter with imaginative interpretations of the topic at hand. If you’ve never thought a skeleton was cute before, you will after reading this book.
There are too many great chapters in this book to truly pick favorites, but I do want to highlight a few that stood out to me. Early on, Caitlin answers the question, “Can I keep my parents’ skulls after they die?” One of the things I love about Caitlin is that she always contextualizes her answers with a discussion of ethics and makes sure to humanize dead bodies before getting into the nitty gritty details. In this chapter, she asks “First of all, what are you going to do with their skulls, exactly? … Whatever your plans are, remember, real skulls aren’t kitschy Halloween decorations; they belonged to a human being.” With that ethical foundation laid, Caitlin goes on to tackle the physical and legal hurdles to keeping your parents’ skulls.
While most of the questions in this collection come from sheer curiosity, a couple may come from a place of fear and anxiety. “What if they make a mistake and bury me when I’m just in a coma?” is a question that could certainly keep a kid up at night. Caitlin puts these fears to rest with clear, scientific answers delivered with a voice of authority. In this chapter, she breaks down the differences between being in a coma and being “brain dead” and enumerates some of the tests that doctors use to determine whether their patient is well and truly dead. But what I found most reassuring is her confident assertion that “there is no funeral director or medical examiner I know who can’t tell the difference between a living person and a corpse.” As someone who has handled thousands of dead bodies herself, Caitlin knows what she’s talking about.
If you’ve got little ones in your life that are curious about death, you can trust Auntie Caitlin to give them all the answers they need. But this book isn’t only for the little ones! Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? is perfect for readers of any age who just want some straightforward answers to their most morbid questions. You can find the book on shelves at your favorite local retailer starting tomorrow, or you can buy it online and support The Gothic Library in the process by clicking this Bookshop.org affiliate link. Once you’ve read it, come back and share your thoughts with me in the comments!