DescriptionReviewsThe Sapling ~ This is a beautifully produced and well-written information and activity book rooted in te ao Māori. I see a lot of self-published titles and this is one of the best designed ones I have seen. The typesetting and layout gives the text and illustrations (which are also excellent) the due credit they deserve. You may have read me waxing lyrically about Isobel Joy Te Aho-White’s illustrations before, and Family of Forest and Fungi is no exception. Lovely soft watercolour textures and palette, with kōwhaiwhai patterns swirling in the background.The text gives a holistic view of the environment and invites the reader to connect with it using all their senses. Spaces are provided to write responses to sensory activities, and plenty of vocabulary in both English and te reo Māori are provided as prompts. The book then goes for a deeper dive into the science of fungi, with more activities including making a spore print, mushroom ink, and even growing your own. A fantastic resource for classrooms and at home.Table of contents1. Authors preface 2. Foreword 3. How to use this book 4. The place where you live 5. Listening to your environment 6. Connecting our senses (Open your eyes to nature; Smell the scent of the forest; Listen to the sounds of nature; Feel the world around you) 7. Observe the cycles of nature. 8. Seasonal changes in Aotearoa 9. Our special role within the bigger picture 10. Trees 11. Native trees of Aotearoa 12. Fungi 13. Importance of correct identification 14. Native fungi of Aotearoa 15. Fungi life cycle 16. Mycelium 17. Make a mushroom spore print 18. Different types of fungi 19. Fungi living in symbiosis with plants 20. Fungi in everyday life 21. Make mushroom ink! 22. How did our ancestors benefit from fungi? 23. How fungi can help us and the environment 24. Mushrooms and fungi have many benefits and uses! 25. You can grow mushrooms at home! 26. References 27. Acknowledgements 28. ContributorsAbout the Kiwi authorValetta Sowka (Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is a journalist and author who lives with her husband and two children in Tasman, New Zealand, where they operate their family business Matariki Mushrooms. Originally having studied film-making, she honed the interviewing skills she now uses for journalism. Family of Forest & Fungi is her first book.
