Mushroom Day

"On this mushroom-filled day, ecologist Alison Pouliot tours the world to introduce readers to twenty-four fungi in twenty-four hours. We begin our day with the midnight disco, which is not a late-night dance club, but a rare and threatened fungus. In the early hours, the curious Australian ghost fungus lights our path with its eerie green glow. At dawn, we awaken to find a fairy ring of mushrooms that has appeared overnight. We don't have much time to appreciate this folklore-inspiring sight, as we must reach the Italian forest before other porcino hunters forage the fattest and finest. In the heat of the afternoon, the ripe stench of the stinkhorn will send us out of the woods, while the enticing aroma of the aniseed funnel might lure us back. In the evening, you dine on the common and delicious ink cap mushroom. Just make sure you forgo that whisky nightcap with your tasty ink cap; this fungus contains coprine, a chemical that inhibits humans' ability to break down alcohol with unpleasant consequences. At the end of the day, we'll have glimpsed the diversity of this unique kingdom, met fungus friends that feed and fascinate, and seen how humans can encourage their flourishing. For each hour, celebrated artist Stuart Patience has depicted these scenes with evocative pen and ink illustrations. Working together to narrate and illustrate these unique moments in time, Pouliot and Patience have created an engaging read that is a perfect way to spend an hour or two-and a true gift for foragers, amateur mycologists, and anyone who wants to stop and appreciate fungi"--