by Jennifer L. Chaky (Author)
"Why am I so small...? And why can't I move?" A tear rolled down the cheek of Sally, the mushroom. A Big Job for a Small Mushroom tells the tale of Sally, a small mushroom in the forest who had reached the age when she began to notice all the other creatures in the forest and how much more beautiful they were than the lowly mushrooms. She also saw that they could fly or walk, grow very tall or make beautiful flowers. Sally, like so many young people today, was dissatisfied with herself. She didn't know what her special place in the forest was. Nor did she know how important the work is that she and no other growing thing in the forest can do. By explaining to Sally exactly what her job is and how important it is for the life of the forest, Lucy, an older and wiser mushroom, helps Sally to love her life. In the same way, A Big Job for a Small Mushroom tells young readers that everyone and everything has value in our world. Sometimes we just need a little help seeing and understanding that.
Author Biography
Jennifer Chaky is a plant pathologist, spending most of her professional career diagnosing plant diseases in a laboratory. Because of her work, she has grown fond of mushrooms and other fungi, and wanted to share this love with young readers through this story. Born and raised in Central Pennsylvania, she currently resides in Urbandale, Iowa, with her husband and three daughters.