An Anthology of Fungi: A Collection of 100 Mushrooms, Toadstools and Other Fungi

by Angela Rizza, Lynne Boddy

Find out how to identify, where to spot, and what to know about common woodland mushrooms and rare fungal finds with this beautiful book.

Transportable in size and crammed with profiles of different mushrooms, An Anthology of Fungi covers toadstool species including fly agaric, porcelain fungus, velvet shank, wood blewit, and crimson waxcap, as well as lichens, brackets, and more.

Featuring photographs of striking specimens and illustrations by the artist behind DK’s celebrated Anthology series, as well as plenty of intriguing information, this book will be one to treasure for young nature enthusiasts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Juvenile, Collections, Science

128 pages, Hardcover

Published October 3, 2024

Reviews

[Laura]

mushroom

[Tara Thieleke]

Lovely cover artwork good foil gilding, and sturdy ribbon bookmark which makes the book feel like a treasure. The book is a great introduction into mushrooms and lichen. I learned so much about how fungi grow, decompose plant material, and partner with plants for mutual benefits. I’ve read the moth & butterfly book in this series and plan to read the sea shell one next based on my positive experience with both books.

[Dyslexa]

Another fantastic addition to the DK Anthologies! As a fungi enthusiast, I had been eagerly awaiting this release, and with my little one on the way, I’m even more excited to share these books with them in the future.

This book would make a perfect gift for an inquisitive child or any fungi-loving friend. It's packed with cool facts about common fungi species from around the world. While it's great for beginners, even I—a fungi fanatic—learned something new while reading!

[Kayla E]

This is a really pretty book with great mushroom pictures. I received it as a gift and I definitely feel like it has that more premium gift-like quality to it with the pretty gold foil and the ribbon bookmark built in.

The pictures of the mushrooms are really cool. I would personally love a little more written information about the mushrooms in the book as well, but this is a great introduction that left me wanting to read more about a lot of the different fungi I saw in it.

[Santeelah Jackson]

mushrooms so cool

[Andi Butler]

This book is bold and brilliant: photography and information are just enough, and the layout is so animated!

[Julie Suzanne]

Not a field guide, for sure, but I loved reading this visually stunning collection of different fungi organized by the environment in which they can be found (fields, woods, anywhere, etc.) The brief description of each type of plant sometimes included interesting and useful info such as on which continent it can be found, what the Latin name translates into or the origin of the common name, or which ones are poisonous or edible, but that is very inconsistent. I'd not rely on this for identification purposes or to learn too much but rather to enjoy as a collection of delightful images of fascinating fungi that you may never get to see in person.

Personal experience: We flipped through each page of this book while camping before I read it all, cover to cover, and I encountered "King Alfred's Cakes" and "Old Man's Beard" for the first time, recognizing it in the wild right away from having just seen it in the book. Without the book, I would've never known to cut the "cakes" in half to see the "beautiful pattern of concentric layers" inside.

[Kim W]

Picked this up at Five Below, and man, that place really has some hidden gems! This little book is light and far from comprehensive, but absolutely gorgeous. Every page is filled with vivid full-color photos and delicate watercolor illustrations that make the fungi look downright magical.

It's packed with fun facts and uses such rich, descriptive language that you can practically smell the damp forest floor. As a mushroom lover, I was delighted by how many visually stunning shroomies it showcases, from the familiar to the wonderfully strange.

If you're curious about fungi and want a quick, beautiful read (or just something fun to flip through), this is a great addition to the shelf. Mine now sits happily next to Entangled Life.

[Stevie]

Beautiful book. Gilt edged pages, fantastic artwork...
It is a great introduction to the world of fungi, but I was frustrated that it didn’t include consistent information about each type of fungus discussed (geographic region, and the environment in which they can be found)

[Holli D.W.]

We love DK anthology books.

Perfect for your Fungi loving child (or self)
It gives brief facts or description for the mushroom or lichen and opens the door for further research possibilities based on interest.

[Mariana Prieto Montañez]

Me parece un bonito e interesante acercamiento a la reina funga. Si bien tiene cierto bagaje de Europa, es un buen referente para identificar hongos de los territorios nuestros.
Sobra decir que en cuanto fotografía, ilustración y edición gráfica es un ejemplar precioso.

[Sue]

Beautiful and very informative book!

[Michelle]

Great art and mushroom facts!

[Traci]

This book is just beautiful. The art work, the script, the gold edged pages. Just lovely.

[Erin]

4.75☆ This was an excellent resource with a nice format and presentation for middle grade Mycology. My kids both give it 5 stars.

[Amanda Birse]

Very informative, no (mushroom) cap

[Ember Knapp]

Mushrooms are also always a 5/5 for me :D

[Jbondandrews]

A lovely colourful book about some fungi of the world.

[Katie]

I wish there were consistent stats for each species but it is not a field guide.