Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

The discoveries that arise from our flattened fauna will amaze you!Montgomery's story—part memoir, part scientific overview—begins with a squashed snake and follows her as she learns more and more about the animals she finds run over on the side of the road. Animals explored range from snakes to coyotes and deer, and although some international animals are discussed, the primary focus remains on those squished Stateside. For all the literal blood and guts, the tone of the book is light and slightly irreverent, but it never mocks either the animals or the scientists and volunteers who work with roadkill. Footnotes abound to help explain the occasional tangent or help readers understand more complex issues that are alluded to in the text. O'Malley's black-and-white illustrations are peppered throughout the text, sometimes illustrating a moment from the text, sometimes providing a visual description of an animal, tool, or related object. The icing on the cake is the wealth of backmatter, which is divided into three sections: "Simple Acts Save Lives," which provides practical tips for readers on how they can make an ecological impact; an annotated bibliography that's divided by chapter, allowing browsers to find out more info on their specific interests; and an index.There's nothing rotten about this book—it's a keeper. (Nonfiction. 10-14)

ALA Booklist

Adding new dimension to the notion of recycling, Montgomery relates her own encounters with road-killed animals, sometimes with the explicitness of a trained biologist, while asking researchers and others, "How do you use roadkill?" She introduces readers to curators of "wet" and "dry" natural history museum collections, a New York "rogue taxidermist" who turns specimens into art, workers at a wounded wild animal rehab center, and, yes, a dedicated roadside forager. She also describes how roadkill is put to reuse as compost or zoo food and highlights efforts to cut down on the slaughter with fences and culverts. The author discourages readers from messing with dead creatures, but in context, her admonitions seem rather halfhearted. Though there are (for better or worse) no actual recipes, she does close with suggestions for some reasonably safe projects, as well as heaps of annotated leads to print and online resources. "The book is not," she writes, "for squeamish souls." But budding naturalists or eco-activists will find it a smashing read. Finished illustrations not seen.

Horn Book

There's plenty to be learned from roadkill, claims the trained-biologist author, who investigates these dead animals herself and interviews people who have built careers around it. (Even though Montgomery warns readers not to study these animals at home, her enthusiasm may override kids' caution.) The humorous tone, plentiful illustrations, and gross-out subject matter will draw in a certain type of reluctant reader, but there's tons of scientific information here, too. Bib., ind.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

The discoveries that arise from our flattened fauna will amaze you!Montgomery's story—part memoir, part scientific overview—begins with a squashed snake and follows her as she learns more and more about the animals she finds run over on the side of the road. Animals explored range from snakes to coyotes and deer, and although some international animals are discussed, the primary focus remains on those squished Stateside. For all the literal blood and guts, the tone of the book is light and slightly irreverent, but it never mocks either the animals or the scientists and volunteers who work with roadkill. Footnotes abound to help explain the occasional tangent or help readers understand more complex issues that are alluded to in the text. O'Malley's black-and-white illustrations are peppered throughout the text, sometimes illustrating a moment from the text, sometimes providing a visual description of an animal, tool, or related object. The icing on the cake is the wealth of backmatter, which is divided into three sections: "Simple Acts Save Lives," which provides practical tips for readers on how they can make an ecological impact; an annotated bibliography that's divided by chapter, allowing browsers to find out more info on their specific interests; and an index.There's nothing rotten about this book—it's a keeper. (Nonfiction. 10-14)