The picture book We are Fungi by Christina Nishiyama (Might Cold Studios, 2017) shows various types of fungi in the wild, told from the perspective of a group of fungi. Lots of information is given in these “we” statements. The illustrations show a child going through a forest with a dog, and labels appear wherever there is fungi in the picture: the small mushrooms or truffles by a tree, the toe fungus, the mold on her cheese.
The text shows the good and bad sides of fungi as well as generalizations of how fungi grow and what types of things are fungi. In contrast, the illustrations show the girl’s journey in the forest seeming to tell a story. No non-fiction text bars partner with the illustrations, and thus this book provides a great overview of fungi for the youngest readers. It contains the facts but gives both visual interest and readable text just right for a read aloud.
