If I Were a Fungus

The phenomenal capabilities of fungi star in this lightly informative and humorous profile. Using the titular thought experiment as a jumping-off point, first-person text spoken by pink-skinned, red-haired young human mycophile Leo reflects on some forms that a fungus can take, including “spongy,” “fan-shaped,” and “polka-dotted.” Settling on a red-topped, rounded appearance, Leo goes on to envision life as a ’shroom, from getting around to eating to meeting others: “If I were hungry... I’d find my own way to eat at the table.” A definition of mushrooms’ fruiting body unfortunately limits its shape to “a stem with a cap on it,” and informative commentary, provided throughout by worms, butterflies, and other critters, remains largely high-level (“It surrounds its food when it eats. And it doesn’t have to chew”). In bold-hued digital and marker art, geometric shapes lend Stella’s spreads a blocky, elementary vibe that suits the kid-centric text, which playfully but profoundly concludes with its subject’s ubiquity even beyond forest ecosystems: “There’s always a fungus among us.” Back matter includes diagrams, facts, and further resources. Ages 5–9. (Mar.)