On a Mushroom Day

by Chris Baker, Alexandra Finkeldey (Illustrator)

Overview

A Pacific Northwest Indie Bestseller!

Take a magical walk through the forest and learn all about the wild beauty and wonder of mushrooms on this inspiring picture book journey!

A mushroom day is a day of exploring together and discovering some of the most incredible lifeforms on earth: fungi. In this lyrical, informational picture book structured around a walk through a summertime wood, a child and their caregiver share the sights, sounds and smells of the forest as they observe and identify different varieties of mushrooms. On a Mushroom Day encourages curiosity and a love of fungi in young children and normalizes safe, chaperoned and joyful exploration of the fungal queendom all around us. Filled with fun, fascinating fungi facts and a visual catalogue of mushroom species so that kids can enjoy their very own mushroom day in the pages of this book!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781774882580
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	07/16/2024
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.88(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.43(d)
Lexile:	AD880L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

CHRIS BAKER is an author, professional mushroom lover, and founder of Chicory Naturalist, a nature shop and community space rooted in Kingston, New York. Baker is also a certified forager and enthusiastic guide to the realm of fungi, leading forays in the Hudson Valley bioregion. Running through all of Baker's professional endeavors is a passion for reconnecting broken chains of generational knowledge about the natural world. She lives a few blocks from the Hudson River with her spouse, child and two calico cats.

ALEXANDRA FINKELDEY is an illustrator based in Ottawa, Canada. Her art is focused on noticing and capturing the small, pleasant details of daily life, featuring organic subjects and natural textures, and she has illustrated several picture books, including When the Storks Came Home, Talala: The Curious Leopard Cub Who Joined a Lion Pride, and Saving the Spotted Owl.

Editorial Reviews

A Starred Selection of the Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens, Spring 2025

PRAISE FOR On a Mushroom Day:

"[An] introduction to the joys of mushrooming . . . take[s] readers into the forest." —Publishers Weekly

"Informative and engaging, this tale is sure to have kids eagerly taking to the outdoors in search of mushrooms—and more." —Kirkus Reviews

"Imagine walking through the woods after a soaking rain, with squishy ground, unusual scents, and unexpected mushrooms sprouting in new places. These atmospheric textures, colors, shapes, and aromas are captured in this picture book, with information presented by way of a simple story." —Booklist

"The story takes you on an adventure through a forest and subtly teaches you about mushrooms. Young readers will enjoy looking at the earthy illustrations and reading the poetic narrative. This story is good to read anywhere, including on a mushroom day of your own." —The Hamilton Spectator

"The mycelium is depicted as a beautiful, feathery network beneath the ground where the pair crouch. The almost-ghostly white color of it is easily seen among tree roots, nicely portrayed by the gouache, ink and oil pastel artwork." —Youth Services Book Review

"★ This immersive picture book transports us with all our five senses into a second-person walk in the woods." —Imagination Soup

From the Publisher