Starred Review ALA Booklist (Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Starred Review It's time to go on a mushroom adventure! The story is initially matter-of-fact: "This is a mushroom," the first page reads, accompanied by an up-close portrait of the fungus in question. The next page zooms out a bit and expands the world: "This is a mushroom that grows in a park. / This is a mushroom that glows in the dark." After the whirlwind introduction is complete, things take a fanciful turn as readers are shown to an adorable toadstool home of their own, complete with rounded windows and tiny chimney. Stay and play games with chummy butterflies and ladybugs until the sun sets and the front door of the mushroom house swings open, lit softly from within. Climb the stairs to your very own room, brimming with books and toys and a fluffy bed, and slowly sink into a peaceful slumber. The simple, sweet rhymes anchor the gentle story and make it an ideal bedtime read-aloud, and the vibrant ink-and-watercolor illustrations are immersive and intimate, welcoming readers to step straight into the pages. Children will pore over the cozy details, from bug-sized volleyball nets to miniature lantern-lit paths, and the last glimpses of a moonlit mushroom village may even have grown-ups wishing for a relocation to the snug setting. A magical, mellow mushroom dream.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Wed Jul 06 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

This bedtime fantasy features an intimate glimpse into the imagined world of fungi.Short sentences, lilting rhymes, and harmonious visuals help viewers grasp the subject matter: "This is a mushroom that grows in the park. / This is a mushroom that glows in the dark." Kraegel invites readers in by showing a homey mushroom dwelling and switching to the second person; since the "you" is never depicted, all will feel included. Friends are welcome, too: A snail, caterpillar, ladybug, and butterflies visit. They play volleyball, strategize chess moves, and sip lemonade under the flowers. A nearly square trim size and ink-and-watercolor compositions with an abundance of curves and rounded shapes create a setting filled with quiet joy and a sense of security. Stippling and other surface patterns provide texture and gradations of light. As the day winds down, the warm palette becomes even more intense, with glowing embers in the fireplace and deep orange-red walls and décor. The cozy interior is filled with neatly arranged toys, books, musical instruments, and stuffed animals. Stars and the moon are visible through the circular window, and as the view pans out to portray a community of mushroom homes in all their glorious variety, listeners learn that while it is time to "turn out the light," they are wished "sweet dreams, / a soft rest… // and a very good night." (This book was reviewed digitally.)A mycological charmer. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

This bedtime fantasy features an intimate glimpse into the imagined world of fungi.Short sentences, lilting rhymes, and harmonious visuals help viewers grasp the subject matter: "This is a mushroom that grows in the park. / This is a mushroom that glows in the dark." Kraegel invites readers in by showing a homey mushroom dwelling and switching to the second person; since the "you" is never depicted, all will feel included. Friends are welcome, too: A snail, caterpillar, ladybug, and butterflies visit. They play volleyball, strategize chess moves, and sip lemonade under the flowers. A nearly square trim size and ink-and-watercolor compositions with an abundance of curves and rounded shapes create a setting filled with quiet joy and a sense of security. Stippling and other surface patterns provide texture and gradations of light. As the day winds down, the warm palette becomes even more intense, with glowing embers in the fireplace and deep orange-red walls and décor. The cozy interior is filled with neatly arranged toys, books, musical instruments, and stuffed animals. Stars and the moon are visible through the circular window, and as the view pans out to portray a community of mushroom homes in all their glorious variety, listeners learn that while it is time to "turn out the light," they are wished "sweet dreams, / a soft rest… // and a very good night." (This book was reviewed digitally.)A mycological charmer. (Picture book. 3-6)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Mushrooms provide an unconventional and earthy through line for this cozy bedtime book. Rhyming lines open with a simple introduction to different types of fungi (“This is a mushroom that grows in the park./ This is a mushroom that glows in the dark”), but the story soon takes a more personal and interactive slant: “And here is a mushroom made just for you./ Your friends can come, too.” A game- and lemonade-filled day with bug pals—including a ladybug, centipede, and a pair of butterflies—ensues, until dusk arrives and the door to “your” mushroom house is flung open. Up “soft mushroom stair” the reader discovers a round room with a “big mushroom chair” and a “warm/ mushroom bed”—a welcoming space in which to snuggle down as the full moon peeks through a circular window. Intricate dots and lines define Kraegel’s ink and watercolor art, which quaintly

School Library Journal (Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2022)

Toddler-PreS— This book begins like a lyrical show-and-tell: "This is a mushroom that grows in the park./ This is a mushroom that glows in the dark./ This is a mushroom growing on a tree./ And this little mushroom is hard to see." With the turn of each golden page, the natural world of a realistic mushroom tale turns into a miniature journey to a small mushroom home where "you," the listener, can drop off to sleep in cozy surroundings and dream the night away. By this time, children will have stopped asking questions about how they went from show-and-tell to dollhouse-sized existence, fully entering this mushroom world of warmth and tenderness to settle down to sleep. The rhyming text starts off with mushrooms to look for and ends by being tucked into a snug mushroom bed. The artwork has lots of details that will give the less sleepy opportunities to look for and name things as the pages are turned, without the bother of a narrative plot. VERDICT A nice way to send children off to post–story hour naps, at least once.— Debbie Tanner