The Mushroom Fan Club

by Elise Gravel

Join Elise Gravel as she explores the science of some of nature’s weirdest and wildest characters—mushrooms!

Elise Gravel is back with a whimsical look at one of her family’s most beloved pastimes: mushroom hunting! Combining her love of exploring nature with her talent for anthropomorphizing everything, she takes us on a magical tour of the forest floor and examines a handful of her favorite alien specimens up close. While the beautiful coral mushroom looks like it belongs under the sea, the peculiar Lactarius indigo may be better suited for outer space. From the fun-to-stomp puffballs to the prince of the stinkers—the stinkhorn mushroom—and the musically inclined chanterelles, Gravel shares her knowledge of this fascinating kingdom by bringing each species to life in full felt-tip-marker glory.

The Governor General Award–winning author Gravel’s first book with Drawn & Quarterly, If Found . . . Please Return to Elise Gravel, was a Junior Library Guild selection and an instant hit among librarians, parents, and kids alike. Fostering the same spirit of creativity and curiosity, The Mushroom Fan Club promises to inspire kids to look more closely at the world around them and to seek out all of life’s little treasures, stinky or not!

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Graphic Novels, Nature, Childrens, Science, Middle Grade

56 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2018

Reviews

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's my book and, obviously, I think it's pretty good! ; )

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

Seeking and identifying mushrooms out in nature reminds me of bird-watching. There are numerous varieties. They can look dramatically different from each other, and some are really striking, even beautiful. (On a side note, some poisonous ones sneakily resemble some edible ones, so it's of utmost importance to identify correctly if you plan to eat any you collect.) What may have been most interesting to me were their strange names: "Latticed Stinkhorn," "Bleeding Tooth," "Amethyst Deceiver," and "Blue Pinkgill" to name just a few. In some cases, the names are obviously inspired by the mushroom's appearance, but other names seem arbitrary.

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.

I like that this book may inspire readers to spend time in nature--something sorely needed now especially. Many studies have shown that spending time outside has several beneficial effects on mood. Doing so can relieve depression and anxiety and even help regulate a disordered sleep cycle. Reading Gravel's mushroom book offers some direction for those who want to get outside more but feel they need a goal or plan for how to spend that time. Even for readers who don't do that, I think they'll find that after reading The Mushroom Fan Club they'll give mushrooms a little more attention than they did before.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book for exploring mushrooms, something Gravel does with her family. Informational text, with great art, introducing young readers (grades 3 and 4, I'd say, about, though my middle school kids looked at it) to one dimension of the outdoors that some people might overlook (or find less initially fascinating than flowers, for instance), but Gravel also has done books on slugs and head lice, so she's obviously all about nudging young nature lovers and junior scientists, which I think is cool.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

Four stars, but rounded down to a high three stars as for one, I am very much missing an included bibliography with suggestions for further reading and for two, I indeed do find it kind of a bit problematic that in The Mushroom Fan Club Elise Gravel has NOT mentioned in her blurb on false morel mushrooms that they can be extremely toxic (which considering how often they have been confused with true morel mushrooms really should be mentioned just for safety’s sake).

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it doesn't take much to put a smile on my face. For instance, take some drawings of mushrooms, and put faces on 'em.



Boy, am I a happy camper!

Then make one of 'em fart, and I'll be giggling like a schoolgirl.



Cute pictures would have been enough for me, but Gravel packs in plenty of info about our fungariffic friends, and provides some nifty projects kids can try. AND, she cautions: DON'T EAT THEM!



But, by all means, LEARN about them! (Preferably while sipping a warm beverage from your adorable chicken mug.)

[Barbara Dubravec · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just need to sit with this book and cry over how perfect it is.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read anything by Gravel at all but haven't seen a review of this online, I was intrigued. Gravel's narrative is immediately welcoming as she finds a lovely balance between being informative and openly addressing the reader in a companionable and welcoming manner. She has a quirky, funny approach to talking about her subject matter (I like drawing googly eyes on mushrooms) but is always well informed and educational. A lot of white space emphasises the focus on the cartoon-like mushrooms and this is more of a get-out-there-and-enjoy-exploring than something more akin to a Dorling Kindersley which is more than fine by me. Some nice little activities at the back as well as a lovely photo of the author and her children exploring a range of fungi. This will be loved in the classroom.

[Katey Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally wasn't going to count this on my goodreads but I really need a safe space to gush about it.

I ADORE this book. The illustrations alone kill me. There are mushroom characteristics, how to interact (or not) with each kind, instructions on how to be kind to the place where you find the mushrooms, and did I mention soul crushingly cute illustrations?

Gravel even explains what kinds of books you can read to find out more and suggests the reader goes to the library to find them!

Absolutely stunning. Favorite read. EVER.

[Andrea Lorenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this so much! I would have read another hundred pages in this style about mushrooms. Gravel's information is presented in an interesting and accessible manner. The illustrations are adorable and I just wanted more. I can see giving this to my clever scientist children and even I think the graphic novel kids would eat it up, especially the kids who love Hilda.

[Chinook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure Kait (5) and Maddie (3) were old enough for a non-fiction book about mushrooms but we LOVED this. I read it to Kait first, and she was fascinated even before the cartoon fart clinched it. We read that page several times. We messaged her dad about the cartoon fart. She told her sister about the cartoon fart immediately upon awaking the next day. Then the dog poop smell and the reference to a bear poop! The silly mushroom names page. She loves this book. We will be looking for mushrooms on our next walk and intend to try the little project at the end.

Maddie didn’t make it through the boys at the end, but for a three year old, she was really into this book.

At 42, I also loved this book.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book has the look and feel of a book published twenty years ago and just yesterday because of the style of the illustrations of the amazingly diverse fungi. And the author's family discovers their love of finding, collecting, photographing, researching, and eating mushrooms that she decided to dedicate a book to it but instead of just any old book, the mushrooms have eyes to personify their unique and varied uses, smells, looks, and tastes (including poisonous).

As a reader you learn the name of those that study mushrooms as well as some identifying features so it's as informative as it is entertaining.

I'm glad I have librarian friends who love reading cool things that I then see that they read and then decide to read myself.

[Mr. Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Left with a strong and newfound appreciation for mushrooms :)

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it's a fine line between promoting a love of a bunch of really cool organisms and the genuine danger that some fungi present. This book is fun, but not spectacular. If you like Elise Gravel you'll like this, and if you're unfamiliar you might come away a fan of her art because it's far stronger than her writing.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant and made my family and I want to head out into the woods to search for mushrooms immediately. The illustrations are so cute, the descriptions are fascinating and hilarious and it has just the right amount of factual information to spark lots of curiosity. It’s great to see non-fiction written in such an appealing way. Five stars!

[Stephanie Pronovost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parce que moi aussi j’aime ça le bizarre et que le bizarre est aussi dans le domaine du beau, comme le sont les champignons, ce livre pour enfants m’a charmé. Il est autant bien illustré qu’informatif. J’ai juste envie de faire une balade en forêt pour les identifier! 🍄 <= Amanite tue-mouche.

[tinaathena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mushrooms are cool.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised with this one. Informative about different types of mushrooms you might find out on a nature walk, delightful illustrations

[Jess El-Zeftawy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter has suddenly become obsessed with wild mushrooms and there's not a lot of children's books on the topic that are age appropriate for her (she's in kindergarten), but this one is prefect. In the four days that we've had our library copy, we've read it four times. We're now much more informed about a few of the mushrooms we might encounter in the wild, with puff balls being our favorite. Would recommend to any little mushroom enthusiast.

[MaryJo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information in this book is terrific and rates higher than a 3.

But.

I don’t care for the illustrations of the mushrooms, however. Besides the cartoonishness of them and the eyes, I would prefer a more realistic portrayal of the mushroom itself so we might know more genuinely what each one looks like.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My older son is a mushroom fanatic. I found this book while I was doing my shelving at the library and immediately grabbed it to take it home. When I showed it to him his face lit up. We’ve seen a couple shelf mushrooms in our backyard so that was the page that interested him the most. All the illustrations are so cute. I recommend this for elementary to middle schoolers who are interested in the outdoors or heck even grown ups like me who want to see mushrooms with faces drawn on them!

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super cute book! It’s packed with useful information and has tons of colorful, fun illustrations. I like that it encourages kids to get outside more and also gives a pretty stern warning about using care when looking for or collecting mushrooms because of the risks involved due to the toxicity of many of them. I look forward to reading The Bug Club and other books by this author. 4 stars.

[Jessie Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small confession, I’m afraid of mushrooms. Something about their texture, *shudder*, I don’t like. Yet I wanted this book and wound up buying it, the drawings really pulled me in. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, although it’s geared towards kids, because it’s lovely, happy and informative.

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much. I love love love the illustrations and the fun, lighthearted facts about different groups of mushrooms. I was already familiar with the author because of her other children’s books and was delighted to discover this one.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Birthday gift from Batsheva!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the conversational tone throughout the book.

[Sara-Juliette Hins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce livre si merveilleusement illustré fait découvrir les champignons autant sur le plan graphique qu’informatif. Ça donne tellement envie d’aller se balader pour jouer les mycologues amateurs!

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading it as it’s very informative but keeps it fun. I really love the illustrations.

[Elvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute book made even more wonderous due to Elise Gravel's illustrations.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Logan and I are def in the mushroom fan club. If you love to go on mushrooms hunts as much as us, this book will be a hit. Super fun illustrations too.