Readers will have an all-new outlook on mushrooms once they've experienced Laura K. Zimmermann's debut picture book, Mushroom Rain. Through simple language and breathtaking illustrations by artist Jamie Green, the wonder and beauty of nature's fungi take shape.
Zimmermann's text makes the extraordinary science of mushrooms a lyrical adventure through a flourishing forest. She tickles the senses with evocative descriptions ("Delicate umbrellas open, red octopus arms rise from the ground.../ Bizarre blooms with strange scents--some like bubble gum, coconut, maple syrup"), then interjects some mystery ("Without warning, mushrooms disappear, no longer seen, but not gone"). Underneath the mushroom blooms, "a hidden form reaches out," the root system capable of stretching for miles. At the same time, mushroom spores that don't settle on the forest floor "soar to the sky, seeding clouds." After the mushroom rain, "strange blooms spring up." This delightful nonfiction picture book is enhanced by Green's striking art, which is a mixture of realism and alluring whimsy. The textures and shading create a setting that feels both true to life and otherworldly and the use of perspective gives readers a mushroom's-eye-view. The backmatter includes additional information, activities and resources for more insight into mushrooms.
Together Zimmermann and Green prove how fascinating--and beautiful--science and nonfiction can be. The picture book's poetic insights and enchanting illustrations are likely to scatter seeds that will take root for future mycologists. --Jen Forbus, freelancer