While it’s a generally scientific book written for seven to nine year olds, it still takes on a storytelling style and engages readers with a narrative. The story pieces itself together by focusing on various objects that occur naturally in the world, detailing them with beautiful photos and graphics. The book will resonate points of deep interest for any child who’s interested in various aspects of the natural world. Appearing on the “Best of 2018” lists of big names like Globe and Mail and Quill & Quire, The Mushroom Fan Club is an imaginative and illustrative children’s book by Elise Gravel. The story is about mushroom hunting, one of the author’s favorite family pastimes. Instead of focusing on science, however, Gravel unweaves the wonder of mushrooming by turning all life forms into English-speaking, curious characters in the story. The Mushroom Fan Club is powered by Gravel’s disarming enthusiasm. With its personable appro ach, casual asides, and goofy humour, the book has the feel of a classroom visit from the Mushroom Lady. “If I were a bug,” Gravel writes, “I’d like my house to be inside a gyromitra!” (That being the mushroom that “looks like a brain.”) The book is structured very loosely as a walk in the woods with Gravel and her daughters as they hunt for cool-looking mushrooms – such as boletes, which are delicious; polypores, which grow on the trunks of trees like fungal shelves; and the Lactarius indigo, which produces a bright blue, milk-like substance and which is so rare Gravel has never actually seen one.

This book features detailed and specific photos of more than 90 species of mushrooms that are ready to be colored in. The science in the book is soft, entering into the narrative both through fun language and interesting illustrations. In many ways, the science is slipped into the story like crushed-up medicine in a tasty treat. Unfortunately, some customers have reported that the illustrations are not the best quality, especially when compared to some other books. Pros and Cons of Fungarium: Welcome to the Museum by Ester Gaya Pros The book even explores how fungi are related to humans, uncovers the nature of the fruiting body, and touches on some of the unique and bizarre species you might not be familiar with. For example, did you know that some mushrooms shine neon green when it’s dark?Hi! I'm Max and I'm a writer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I've been freelancing for more than five years and love the freedom and variety that this profession offers. Animals are also a big part of my life, and a lot of my time is dedicated to playing with my cat, Herbie. The Best Children’s Books About Fungi: Reviewed and Ranked FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) Written for four to eight year olds, Mushroom Rain explores all of the ideas and interesting things about mushrooms that adults know and love. From the underground information networks to the wild and fascinating expressions of fungi in nature, your child will get an appreciation for the wonder that fungi inspire. Mason Goes Mushrooming is an illustrated story with stunning pictures and is written in a classic children’s book format. As such, it interweaves educational ideas with an engaging story about a young boy who sets off into the woods with his dog.

Author Elise Gravel and her family enjoy mushroom hunting, something I can't say I knew was a hobby for some people. I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling wonder over seeing that mushrooms grew overnight on the lawn, but beyond that, I don't think much of mushrooms. This little children's book, however, is the mushroom book I didn't know I needed. It actually got me interested in hunting for them myself. Hungry Ghosts reunited the two writers in 2018. The book is a collection of comics that tell the story of a Russian oligarch who, in the middle of his dinner party, invites the chefs working in his kitchen to play a version of 100 candles, a Japanese Edo-period game in which brave samurai would try to one-up each other with terrifying tales of ghosts, demons, and unspeakable beings. The book isn’t exactly for the faint of heart, but it will resonate with fans of Get Jiro! and movies like Raw and Lady Snowblood. It’s riddled with unsettling tales inspired by Japanese mythology and comic book violence, but it’s also a celebration of culinary creativity and great storytelling. If you like ghost stories, Hungry Ghosts delivers kitchen nightmares that are guaranteed to haunt you. [ Buy: Bookshop] Umma’s Table by Yeon-Sik Hong Quite often fungi has a bad rep — especially when it comes to poisonous mushrooms. However, there is so much more to learn, and a good book can open this exciting world up to your child. If you’re looking for a children’s book that is about nature in general and not just fungi then we recommend Nature’s Treasures: Tales of More Than 100 Extraordinary Objects from Nature by Ben Hoare. In our opinion, the best overall children’s book about fungi is Mushroom Rain by Laura K Zimmermann.Fungarium: Welcome to the Museum also details the overwhelmingly positive impact that fungi have had on human life. For example, the use of fungi in penicillin. Books with amazing illustrations are always a great way for children to learn, and that’s why Humongous Fungus (Underground and All Around) by Lynne Boddy is the perfect choice. So, it’s time to start teaching your kids about the fungi kingdom. It’s certainly something that doesn’t always get enough attention. Not only is it a full kingdom of life, but it’s also one that gets a relatively bad name. We tend to think of fungi in limited terms, mostly imagining them as mushrooms, and poisonous ones at that. Fungi is an expansive and interesting kingdom, however. If your child is a visual learner then Mushrooms of the World with Pictures to Color by Jeanette Bowers and David Arora is the perfect fungi book for them. It depends on the age of the child in question. For younger children then a picture book or one with a simple story and a lot of illustrations would be ideal. However, if the child is older then a more comprehensive book would be best.

Unfortunately, some customers reported that this book is a little too lengthy for children to enjoy. Pros and Cons of The Mushroom Fan Club by Elise Gravel Pros Engaging, full of fun and with expressive and humorous accompanying artwork (although personally, I would rather not have the mushrooms illustrated with eyes, with smiling facial features, finding this a bit too fantastical for a book that yes, even with its light and chattering, often bantering narrative is still first and foremost non fiction and educational), what I am primarily taking away from Elise Gravel’s The Mushroom Fan Club is her total declaration of love for both mushrooms and mushroom collecting and indeed, with so enthusiastically and lovingly a presented narrative that really if you are not after having finished perusing The Mushroom Fan Club also and equally at least a budding and potential mushroom fan, there is in my opinion, something perhaps a bit wrong with your general attitude. For yes, Elise Gravel’s exuberant text, graced by her equally thus pictures, how every fungus described in The Mushroom Fan Club is almost like a personal friend of author/illustrator, and this even with regard to those featured species that are toxic, that are potentially lethal if consumed, it really should make every one of us at the very least interested in mushrooms and their attributes, how they grow, what they look like, which species are edible, which are poisonous etc. Your child will learn about the microscopic fungi floating through your yard as well as the humongous networks of fungi that power our forests. They’ll also explore how fungi are used as medicine, how species usually pop out more clearly in the fall, and how they can even be foraged right from the forest floor in some cases. Best Coloring Book: Mushrooms of the World with Pictures to Color by Jeanette Bowers and David Arora

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When choosing a book about fungi for your child you should consider the age of the child, reading level, and the type of book. At the end are photos of Gravel's children posed with huge amounts of mushrooms they collected. It's a nice personal touch, and I admire the author for getting her kids passionate about this wholesome activity.