The Mushroom Fan Club - by Elise Gravel (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Elise Gravel is back with a whimsical look at one of her family's most beloved pastimes: mushroom hunting! Combining her love of getting out into nature with her talent for anthropomorphizing everything, Gravel 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"--

Book Synopsis

Appeared on Best of 2018 lists from Quill & Quire and the Globe and Mail!

"Although the fungi are anthropomorphized with cartoon eyes and goofy grins, the research behind the book is real."--The Globe & Mail 100 Best Books of 2018

"Gravel turns adventures in mushroom hunting into scintillating reading material."--Quill & Quire Best Kids' Books of 2018

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!

Review Quotes

"I've always been entranced at the huge variety of mushrooms I see on my walks and this book makes me want to jump up and go look for them...Do NOT miss this book."--Youth Services Book Review

"It's amazing what a pair of googly eyes and a smile can do...There's a welcoming simplicity to [Gravel's] work, but images like that first illustration of the forest also showcase her skill with denser, more immersive visuals."--The AV Club

"An introduction to mushrooms may sound dull, but Gravel can make anything exciting and weird. Searching for mushrooms is 'like a treasure hunt that nature organized just for us!' she enthuses, but it's really her descriptive take on her subject that will have kids heading for the woods."--The Toronto Star

About the Author

Elise Gravel is an author illustrator from Montreal, Quebec. After studying Graphic Design, Gravel pursued a career writing and illustrating children's books, where her quirky and charming characters quickly won the hearts of children and adults worldwide. In 2012, Gravel received the Governor General's Literary Award for her book La clé à molette. A prolific artist, she has over thirty children's books to her name which have been translated into a dozen languages, including The Disgusting Critters series, The Mushroom Fan Club, The Bug Club, The Worst Book Ever, and If Found...Please Return to Elise Gravel, her challenge to young artists to keep a sketchbook. Elise Gravel still lives in Montreal with her spouse, two daughters, cats, and a few spiders.