Description: Join Fritz, an introverted chanterelle mushroom, and his friend Pip, an exuberant fly agaric mushroom, on a day of fun and adventure in this adorable picture book from the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller My Little Brave Girl!
Meet Fritz. He likes rose hip ice cream on warm days and cream of chestnut soup on cold ones. Sometimes, Fritz likes to play with lots of friends. Sometimes, he likes playing with his extroverted best friend Pip (who likes blackberry bramble ice cream on hot days and spicy nettle stew on cold ones). But most often, Fritz likes to spend time all by himself. Time to be quiet. Time to do lots of things or nothing at all. One morning, Fritz decides to have a very Pip-like day, to see what it's like being Pip. The day starts with an exciting morning of berryball, followed by a swim in the puddle pond -- and then blowing bubbles in the violet patch! But as the day goes on, Fritz starts getting more and more frazzled -- it's exhausting work being so social when you're an introvert! How can Fritz get the quiet time he needs when there's so much going on? Find out in this sweet new picture book by talented author-illustrator Kelsey Garrity-Riley.Review Quotes: "Garrity-Riley. . . . turns a classic introvert-extrovert dynamic into a fungal fable that's sweet on the surface and umami underneath." --STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
"Charming illustrations alternate among full- and double-page spreads and multi-paneled pages, providing plenty of winsome vignettes featuring subterranean mushroom homes, woodland flowers and forest trees. An engaging celebration of the differences that make us unique." --Kirkus Reviews"A warm and affirming picture book that supports SEL conversations about temperament, identity and empathy." --School Library Journal "The narrative respects the two main characters and shows how accepting others' differences can increase one's circle of friends. The expressive mixed-media illustrations ensure that this picture book is both down-to-earth and charming." --Booklist
"There is a fine line between reassurance and preaching, and between resignation to unchangeable traits and celebration of them. Fritz: A Mushroom Story captures that truth by speaking directly to young readers." --Imaginary Elevators "Readers looking for the coziest of cozy, sweetest of sweet picture books -- an all-around elegant story with a great dose of kindheartedness, Fritz: A Mushroom Story is the perfect pick. Elevated in storytelling and in artwork, Kelsey Garrity-Riley's Fritz: A Mushroom Story is an enchanting, must-read" --Fab Book Reviews
"This affirmational story about accepting individual differences benefits greatly from Garrity-Riley's gouache and colored pencil illustrations. She's created an entire charming world, filled with adorable details, including Fritz's well-appointed treehouse, a woodland playground and a tiny town populated by a varied group of ice-cream-eating mushrooms." --Youth Services Book Review