Review: Fungus Is Among Us! by Joy Keller

Fungus is Among us

Written by Joy Keller

Illustrated by Erica Salcedo

Published:  Innovation Press

Year: 

Ages: 5-10

Pages: 40

Awards:

  

 

   I promise, it is only a coincidence that I checked out "Fungus is Among Us" from the library the day before starting "The Last of Us"!  However, I must say that having both going through my head once really tickles my dark humor bones.  

The Illustrations

     Erica Salcedo's illustrations work wonderfully with this story.  The fear of the main character was communicated well. 

    My two year old, who's learning body language right now, really got since of fear and drama from the main character's reactions, but not so badly that she didn't enjoy the book.  

 In contrast, the various fungus, which are just going about their cute little lives, are illustrated with bright eyes and pleasant expressions showing that there really is nothing to be afraid of.  It's clear they don't want to harm her, nor do they really care that she's afraid of them.  I enjoyed the drama of it.  

The Story

    A girl is walking through the woods when she spots a mushroom.  Then, thanks to the voice of an unseen narrator, she gradually begins to notice that there are mushrooms everywhere.  Not only that but there is fungus everywhere - the trees, her yard, her fridge, bathroom even her skin.  Everything is being fed on by fungus!  She panics until she is reminded that her lunch is also made of tasty fungus, and that her compost wouldn't compost without fungus - nor would anything else.  

Author Joy Keller

Now she goes for her walk with confidence that fungus is among us and that is ok!
   In addition to the lyrical meta-story above there are also fun fungus facts that supplement the story. These facts teach the reader what fungi are, how they spreads, and why they are important. 
   

 What I Liked!  

 As a horror enthusiast, I enjoyed this thrilling approach to an educational book. I went into "The Last of Us" with no idea what the plot was, so I was double trilled with the dramatic irony of having just read "Fungus Among Us".   The truth is many kids, and adults, are afraid of fungus.  So using that fear to teach about them was brilliant, in my opinion. 

     This story is well written and so are the facts.  The lyrical paragraphs made the story easy to read.  The bright and dramatic illustrations held my attention til the end.  

What I Loved

I'm a nature nerd so I actually loved the fungi facts.  I'd never had it explained so plainly just why fungi are not plants, or how compost works. Fungi are really so complicated that it's hard for educated professionals to beak them down to simple, factual, teachable bites.  Joy Keller did this brilliantly.  For example, how the fungi in the tree are two things once (algae and fungi).  I've heard this before as a debate, as though nature is so black and white that they had to be one thing or the other. But the idea that they is  a possible symbiotic relation makes much more since.  Scientists are discovering just how symbiotic fungi are with every living thing on Earth and that's amazing!  Also, I didn't know that dandruff was caused by an imbalance of fungi on or in the human body until reading this picture book!  

Disliked

I didn't enjoy how much the fungus facts interrupted the flow of the story.  Even the above YouTube clips of the read-aloud were broken into two videos to avoid ruining the flow of the story bits.  

    However, I don't know the solution for this because I liked the fungus facts and I wouldn't want to cut them out.  I'm also not so naive as to suggest that Joy "just make the facts rhyme too" as was suggested on Goodreads a few times.  

   As a writer of a lyrical picture book, I understand that it's not so simple.  I believe the writer/editor, whoever made the choice to put them together, did the best they could with it.  I'm happy the facts were not cut out al together, but it is the only thing I can say I disliked about the experience of reading the book.

      If I were to purchase this book to read to my daughter, I'd end up skipping the fungus facts  often just because they disrupt the flow of the story.

Bedtime Breakdown

My daughter was not the target audience for Fungus is Among Us.  She's only two, and became actually afraid as the MC in the story presented fear so clearly.    If you have a sensitive two year old, maybe wait a year or two on this one.  My husband skipped the fungus facts after the first one choosing, as I've said, to not disrupt the flow of the story.

    That being said, even though she deemed it 'The Scary Book' my daughter still said she liked the book but didn't want to read it anymore.  Despite being afraid of it, she enjoyed the pictures of the cute little mushrooms.   

I liked the true facts about nature, and enjoyed learning something new. I was later able to point out some of these fungi in real life as a fun activity we could do together - just to be sure that she didn't become afraid of real fungus.     

Recommendations

If you have an older child who enjoys the outdoors or likes bringing up fun trivia facts to friends and family, this would be a fun gift.  Also for teachers or librarians looking for fun PG scary books that they can read as a Halloween treat, consider "Fungus is Among Us" for a educational, but thrilling, story.  

        If you like this book please show Joy Keller, and her talented illustrator Erica Solcedo some love by checking this book out from your local library or purchase it your favorite bookstore.

    Or help my page out by purchasing through my Amazon Associates Link here "Fungus is Among Us!" 

          

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