Mushrooms and Company: How a Marvelously Moldy Network Supports Life on Earth - Hardcover

by Geert-Jan Roebers (Author), Wendy Panders (Illustrator), Michele Hutchison (Translator)

Perfect for young environmentalists and nature enthusiasts comes an information-packed introduction to the fascinating world of mushrooms, molds, and more!

In Mushrooms and Company readers dive deep into the fungal kingdom and are introduced to an incredible array of mushrooms, molds, mildews, yeasts, and rusts. Explore the fascinating mycorrhizal network that lives and operates under our feet, in sometimes surprising ways.

Without fungi, there would be no penicillin, no bread (at least the kinds that depend on yeast to rise), and no blue cheese! Of course, some fungi can be dangerous--whether it's molds that grow on crops (like potato blight) or in buildings (like dry rot)--in Mushrooms and Company, you'll meet them all!

Biologist and writer Geert-Jan Roebers takes readers on an engaging journey into the fascinating world of fungi, exploring topics such as:

• How fungi contribute to keeping forests clean and healthy.
• How trees and plants rely on fungi to access the water and nutrients essential for their survival.
• How fungi assist certain animals in digesting their food.
• How fungi benefit humans by providing medicines and food.

Playful and packed with science, Mushrooms and Company is a welcome addition to any nature lover's bookshelf.

Author Biography

Geert-Jan Roebers is a biologist and writer with an interest in nature conservation. He is the author of numerous books in Dutch, including Nature's Treasure Trove, the Dutch canon of nature for children, which features 112 objects each child should be able to recognize in their own neighborhood.

Wendy Panders studied graphic design at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. She works as an illustrator and graphic designer for magazines and papers and has illustrated many children's books. Her illustrations for Rap with Little Red (Gottmer, 2011) earned her an Honorary Mention from the Golden Paintbrush Jury, the prize for the best illustrated children's book of the Netherlands.