"On a mushroom day, some brilliantly
colored beings will catch your eye,
teeny tiny red ones and big blue ones
dripping bright droplets."
Following the rain, an adult and child make a trip to a forest filled with some remarkable encounters with nature. The squishy ground is soft where they step, and allows them to explore the wonders of their environment as they listen to the sounds and react to the sights. It is a happy time, encouraging a sweet song about mushrooms.
"On a mushroom day, you might
smell apricots or maple syrup
or other, more mysterious aromas
wafting from the forest floor."
The mushrooms discovered are easy to see. Once the two notice the first ones, they can't help but see more and more. As they go, the author assures that readers begin to understand and appreciate what mushrooms are, where they live, and how finding them above the ground reminds us of everything below ground that connects trees and other living matter.
Their search leads them to discover 12 species that are very different from one another. As they are labeled, Ms. Finkeldey creates a dramatic look that gives life to those descriptive names. Imaginative and memorable, young readers are sure to recall some of them. Using photographs of mushrooms taken while visiting the forest, her images are accurate and can be easily identified.
After gathering only those mushrooms that the adult deems delicious enough to cook, the two return home with 'a treasure or two' for their evening meal. The rest are left for forest foragers, and others who might visit on another mushroom day search.
Back matter presents each of the mushroom species included in the book, with an accurate illustration and a short description. Further to that, Chris Baker encourages readers to get out and make their own discoveries as he and his family have done. He adds 'the facts on fungi', "tips for having your own wonderful mushroom day', a list for further reading, and other resources that might be helpful for learning more.
"Only knowledgeable adults should pick mushrooms to eat, and only those they can identify with 100 percent certainty."
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