Mason Goes Mushrooming

Future foragers are invited to come along!

There are treasures in the forest just behind Mason’s house. In this first-of-its-kind foraging story told through the eyes of a third-generation mushroom hunter, Mason takes his cues from thunderstorms and apple blossoms to grab a basket and hit the woods. We join him on his forays with his four-legged pal, Buddy, to hunt edible mushrooms through lush Vermont landscapes as he scores morels in springtime, chanterelles in summer, and black trumpets in autumn.

The premise is simple: four seasons, four woodland adventures, four wild edible mushrooms, and four delicious recipes. Author (and Mason’s mom) Melany Kahn quells common fears and puts the “us” in mushrooms, by weaving simple education through a playful, fungi-finding adventure. Mason teaches us it’s never too early to learn, and never too late to start.

Mason Goes Mushrooming takes us on a woodland treasure hunt, crossing paths with plucky critters and nature’s trickery. We discover what a summer rainstorm and spaghetti have in common, how to hear the gentle swells of ocean waves without leaving the forest, and why a dog can be a valuable partner on a foraging caper. We also learn that fairy rings are real.

Four kid-friendly, forest-to-frying-pan recipes highlight flavor notes. In the last pages, the featured mushrooms are demystified for newbie foragers. Illustrator Ellen Korbonski enchants with evocative watercolors capturing the beauty of the mushrooms, the thrill of the hunt, and Mason’s fertile imagination, in a style that pings with the charm and timelessness of an enduring classic.