Review by Booklist Review
Horror tropes abound as a brown-skinned, bespectacled girl runs for her life to escape that unnervingly icky organism of mystery: fungus. She bolts from the woods, through her backyard, and into the safety of home. But wait: there are lichens on the trees, mushrooms in the garden, mold in her refrigerator, and mildew in the shower. And, reader, there's even fungus inside her body! (scream) The message is clear fungus is inescapable but lingering fears are soon put at ease as the text turns to the many ways fungus enhances our lives, and not just through pizza. Yes, fungus makes our mushroom toppings and provides yeast for the dough, but it also has the power to decompose, helping us compost and keeping nature clean. Keller's simple rhymes (supplemented by informational asides) make the subject approachable, and Salcedo's colorful illustrations add humor via googly eyes on the various fungal growths. Back matter includes an interview with a mycologist, making for an impressive introduction to a largely misunderstood and vital part of our world.--Ronny Khuri Copyright 2020 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--4--This narrative nonfiction title, written in couplet rhymes, is all about fungi. The main character, sporting oversize Snapchat-style glasses, blueish-black hair, and one sagging sock, mouth open in a scream, is frightened by the prospect that she can't escape fungus. It's along the trail she hikes, in the tree she climbs, in her yard, and even in her house. The bathroom, refrigerator, and kitchen all contain fungus. The only acceptable fungus lives in the pizza her dad is making (mushrooms and yeast in the dough). Keller points out that fungi are everywhere, even on humans. The protagonist eventually accepts that fungi are helpful and not necessarily as scary as she first anticipated. Small print mixed in among the pages provides additional scientific information. Illustrations are bold and bright. The fungi are depicted with goggle eyes and tiny mouths. Back matter contains an interview with a mycologist who answers questions about what the job entails. VERDICT A fun introductory piece of informational poetry that will be enjoyed by many age groups. Great paired with Carla Billups and Dawn Cusick's It's a Fungus Among Us: The Good, the Bad & the Downright Scary.--Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Mushrooms, lichens, yeasty bread, too. Are your salad and breadsticksalive?Beneath its sensationalistic title, this is a truly delightful rhyming book about the wonderful surprises that await us in nature. Author Keller brings alive the woods with a second-person text addressed at a bespectacled, elementary-age child whose walk along a woodland path is soon fraught with unexpected visitors. "You crouch to look. / You're shocked to see / its capits stalkits gills! / A fungus grows / among us now / so strange it gives you chills." Soon the kid is noticing all types of fungus, from mushrooms to mold to spores. Illustrator Salcedo provides art that is the perfect blend of humor and information. She uses bold primary colors and adorable expressiveness to highlight not only the human character (a brown-skinned kid with exuberantly bushy hair), but the myriad plants, veggies, and other living things, both microscopic and visible to the naked eye, the kid encounters. In addition to the snappy verse, Keller offers discreet, prose interjections of scienceperfect for young readers with a penchant to know a little bit more. The sweet little science asides offer clearly explained insight into microscopic life forms affecting our lives. The book closes with a three-page interview with a mycologist and a bibliography.Fun, rhythmic, informative, and worthy of many happy read-aloud moments. (Picture book. 5-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
