David Robinson: The Mushroom Picker

by David Robinson (Artist)

The Mushroom Picker tells the tale of a mushroom character named Penny Bun who evades The Mushroom Picker’s annual autumn harvest. Illustrated with “luminograms” photographs, Robinson’s first children’s book includes tips on mushrooms to savor or avoid.

48 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Alex Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book is perfect. It's a story about a mushroom's escape from the mushroom picker told in rhymes with fun rhythm. It's illustrated with gorgeous and spooky luminprints made with arranged mushrooms. The book includes a description of 9 mushroom species.

[Jodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s that time of year... mushroom picking season. The Mushroom Picker is on his way to the woods, already imagining how to prepare his fungi feast. Its Penny Bun’s fear that becomes clear to us. She lost her Father to the Mushroom Picker last season and she is certain he will return for another taste! Penny has an escape plan and her fungi community pull together with their tricks; coming to her rescue and assisting her journey to a safer place.

Robinson presents luminogramsof real mushroom cuttings, arranged to create characters and landscapes that intrigues the imagination. Not only can you feel the textures and shapes of the different mushrooms through these images, but you are lured into the damp dark wooded world of Penny Bun and her friends. The diversity and ecosystems of fungi can be introduced to children across key stages as they are encouraged to learn names for recognition of the mysterious fungi community. The use of rhyme keeps the story flowing and helps to digest some of the facts. Mushrooms have never tasted so good! But as Robinson communicates, they also come with a 'need to know' warning when foraging in the woods!