Why It's Fantastic

“Mason Goes Mushrooming captures the wonderful experience of mushroom hunting, a magic that touches both children and adults.” —Eugenia Bone, author of Mycophilia and the Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook

Author: Melany Kahn

Melany Kahn started hunting for mushrooms in Vermont in 1968 when her family bought a farm in West Brattleboro. For the last 20 years she has taught children how to forage for wild mushrooms.

She attended Wesleyan University (BA, English/Creative Writing). She holds a Masters in Social Work from Boston College, and an MFA in Film from the Tisch School at NYU where she met her illustration collaborator, Ellen Korbonski.

Melany and her family, Bo, Mason and Ally, live in New Hampsire and Vermont with their 3 cats and 17 chickens. She and Bo co-own The Porch Cafe in Brattleboro. You can find her leading mushroom walks or foraging at every opportunity. Mason Goes Mushrooming is her first book.

Illustrator: Ellen Korbonski

Ellen Korbonski is a native of Los Angeles, has lived and worked in New York City for over thirty years. A graduate of Wesleyan University, Ellen attended the NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ MFA in Filmmaking. Ellen has worked for 25 years as a graphic designer.

After the birth of her first child, Ellen landed a job at a children’s picture book publisher. She fell in love with the genre and became an illustrator. This is her debut picture book. Ellen lives in Harlem with her jazz-pianist husband, Helio Alves, and two amazing daughters.

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