Mushrooms Know

April 1, 2024
An introduction to the fun world of fungi. "Mushrooms always wear their thinking caps," George begins preciously before going on to explain how they "know" how to grow underground, spread spores through the air, celebrate their many shapes and colors, and, as "tree-helpers" and recyclers, play active roles in nearly every ecosystem, even urban ones. Though the opening isn't the only place she lets giddiness get the best of her--she also mentions twice in consecutive sentences that mushrooms can produce "deadly toxins"--her tally of fungal features and functions breezily covers the basics, and her concluding observation that "we are just beginning to understand all that mushrooms know and do" is certainly apt. The cheery faces that Gillingham draws on nearly every one of the dozens of labeled and otherwise accurately drawn shrooms bursting up on their own or in bunches against saturated monochrome backgrounds reflect the general tone, as well as the anthropomorphism. A bulleted list of further facts (including a cogent if tardy warning about eating or touching any found specimens) is appended; a tan-skinned young child pops into view occasionally to provide some notion of relative scale. A bright and informative, if anthropomorphic, primer. (Informational picture book. 5-7)

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April 15, 2024
Grades K-3 Covering an unusual subject, this fun title is a twofer: on each page, simple wording and large, boldly colorful images of anthropomorphized mushrooms introduce a general concept that is elaborated on in higher-level text in a smaller font. The opening pages tell readers that "Mushrooms know there is more beneath the surface than meets the eye," and "They know that you can stand firm, yet also spread out free," with the accompanying text explaining, "Most of a mushroom is underground in a network called mycelium," and that mushrooms' thousands of spores have been found in Earth's most remote spots. Alongside the cheery cartoon fungi faces, every page features new, fascinating facts: there are 30,000 known species of mushroom, some of these fungi produce a light called foxfire, one honey mushroom has been growing for 2,500 years, and more. A ""Did You Know?"" spread offers even more info (importantly, a warning to never touch mushrooms found in the wild, only look), and though there are no source notes, this friendly title will nonetheless be a worthy addition to science shelves.

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