Doughty’s forthright but playful tone is apparent before you even get to the table of contents ... perhaps the most enchanting little book ever to discuss such matters as whether or not one’s body might explode if one’s final meal before being loaded into the crematorium included popcorn ... It is to her credit that Doughty not only answers those questions that would seem to fall easily within her area of expertise but dutifully chases down the science that might provide a plausible answer to the fate of an astronaut who slipped from this mortal coil while on a spacewalk ... However, this book is by no means solely for death-curious children. Most if not all of the answers provided alongside the charmingly gothic illustrations will be news to the average adult reader, as well ... provides answers to questions both humorous and moving, bringing tiny and full-sized mortals alike to a greater comfort with and understanding of the one transition that will happen to us all.

... delightful ... aimed at younger readers but absolutely for adults as well ... Doughty's answers are as delightful and distinctive as the questions. She blends humor with respect for the dead ... Her investigations of ritual, custom, law and science are thorough, and she doesn't shy from naming the parts of Grandma's body that might leak after she is gone ... Dianné Ruz's accompanying images keep the same tone of playful but plainspoken discussion ... This informative, forthright, comical guide to bodies after death is just the antidote--and surprisingly great fun as well.

Nobody likes to think about mortality, but if you’re going to, there are far worse places to start than Doughty. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? is funny, dark, and at times stunningly existential, revealing not only how little we understand about death, but also how much kids can handle. As to whether or not your cat will eat your eyeballs? You’ll just have to read the book to find out.

... simultaneously will make you gag and smile, but won't make you die laughing ... Doughty's writing is unusually conversational in tone for a book with subjects that can be considered taboo. Not only does she manage to make it extremely informative, throughout she includes her comments with sometimes profound thoughts, real humor and a significant dose of brilliant wit ... While children asked these questions, this book is written for adults. But there's nothing in these pages that would preclude those curious kids from finding answers here. It might give them nightmares, but children are often hardier than parents think. Reread some Grimm’s fairy tales, and you will realize that those stories are grimmer than anything in the pages of Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?

... a delightful mixture of science and humor ... The topic of death is often avoided in conversation, but people are naturally curious about it, and most parents are likely to struggle with how to answer their children’s questions—here is a book that will help ... An entertaining read, straightforward without being morbid. Of interest to anyone, young or old, who is curious about what happens to our bodies after we die.

... one can feel Doughy laying the groundwork for achieving her goal of a death-accepting Western culture by using the same guiding principle leaned on by marketing teams for every sugary cereal brand out there: start them young! ... Her tone is surprisingly lighthearted and packed with all the dry wit readers have come to expect from Doughty ... It’s precisely this willingness to lean into the jovial worldview of a child that makes this book so successful. While some will see her tone as irreverent, perhaps us stuffy adults need to, once again, relish in the ick factor and allow death to become as much as an everyday talking point as it is an everyday occurrence. In this way, children are the ideal ground zero for Doughty to promote her death-positivity agenda. Since the Western cultural thumb hasn’t yet flattened their interest in the topic and rolled it into cold, hard fear, kids are far more likely to ask some of these questions that initially sound kooky, but with further thought, slowly morph into totally rational curiosities. The type of unknowns that will nag at one’s psyche if left unanswered. Do bodies decaying underground affect the taste of the groundwater in the area? Read the question and you’ll be dying to know the answer.