Discover the Magical World of Mushrooms: A New Book for Young Nature Lovers
Have you ever spotted weird and colorful mushrooms while walking in the woods and wondered what they were? A fascinating new book called Mushrooms & Fungi for Kids: An Introduction to Mycology, by Ariel Bonkoski, is here to help young nature enthusiasts explore the amazing world of fungi!
Unlike most mushroom books that focus on which mushrooms you can eat, this book takes a different approach. It’s all about discovering how cool and unusual fungi can be—from bright-purple mushrooms to ones that look like coral growing on trees. The author wrote this book because she wished something like it had existed when she was a kid. Surprisingly, Ariel didn’t even like mushrooms growing up! It wasn’t until she was working at a restaurant as a young adult that she learned about the incredible diversity of wild mushrooms beyond the plain white button mushrooms at grocery stores.
After discovering a bright-orange chicken of the woods mushroom online, Ariel was hooked. She joined mushroom identification groups and started learning everything she could about fungi. On a hiking trip in Minnesota, she spotted her first wild mushroom—a lobster mushroom—and her passion for mycology (the study of fungi) took off from there.
Today, Ariel is one of North America’s most active mushroom identifiers. She teaches mushroom identification courses at colleges, schools, and nature centers across the continent. Based in Duluth, Minnesota, she’s known for her friendly and enthusiastic teaching style that makes learning about fungi fun and accessible.
The book is packed with colorful photos and interesting facts about different types of mushrooms and fungi. Readers will learn about mushrooms that glow under ultraviolet light, fungi that look like tiny birds’ nests, and slime molds that can actually move! There are also fun hands-on projects kids can try, like making spore print art and creating mushroom wreaths.
The book emphasizes safety while encouraging curiosity. Ariel is clear that this isn’t a guide for collecting wild mushrooms to eat—that requires much more advanced knowledge and direct mentoring from experts. Instead, it’s about appreciating fungi through observation, photography, art projects, and citizen science.
Whether you’re interested in nature photography, citizen science, or just love discovering weird and wonderful things in nature, this book offers a kid-friendly introduction to the fascinating kingdom of fungi. As Ariel says in her preface, “The world of mushrooms and fungi is a lot more fun, colorful, and flat-out weird than we think.“
Parents and educators will particularly appreciate the book’s strong emphasis on safety and responsible nature exploration. The author repeatedly stresses that this is not a guide for collecting edible mushrooms, addressing a key safety concern. Instead, it encourages supervised learning through observation, photography, and structured activities. The book includes clear warnings about where collecting is permitted and emphasizes getting parental permission before attempting any projects. The hands-on activities, like the DIY Bioblitz and spore print art, can be done as family activities or classroom projects, making the book a valuable resource for both home and school settings. Additionally, the book introduces young readers to citizen science platforms like iNaturalist, providing opportunities for guided engagement with the scientific community while learning about nature. This combination of safety consciousness, supervised hands-on learning, and educational value makes it an excellent choice for adults looking to nurture a child’s interest in natural science.
Look for Mushrooms & Fungi for Kids: An Introduction to Mycology when it releases from Adventure Publications on May 6, 2025.
