On the forest floor, camouflaged by dry leaves, lie delicious — but hard to spot — morel mushrooms. One has to be present and purposeful, or it’s easy to overlook these hidden treasures. And this is just one of the valuable life lessons at the heart of the new children’s book from J. David Holt, The Mystery of Mushroom Valley: A Tale about the Magic of Nature and the Power of Kindness.
Written with children ages 7-10 in mind, The Mystery of Mushroom Valley is an enchanting tale that invites readers on an epic adventure with Taylor, a child slowly adjusting to life in an unfamiliar countryside after moving from the bustling city. In these new surroundings, Taylor befriends fun-loving “Aunt” Nell and “Uncle” Hat, who are always happy to spend time teaching Taylor about the wonders of nature, from planting a garden to hunting for hidden morel mushrooms.
“One of the most important aspects of a child's development is the time spent with caring adults,” Holt said. “The adult characters of Aunt Nell and Uncle Hat in this story represent multiple adults who interacted with my children and/or me many times. They were models of outstanding parental behavior … even though they were not parents to me or my children.”
In The Mystery of Mushroom Valley, Taylor eventually becomes too greedy and picks too many mushrooms. Then something strange happens — the forest seems to run out! It will take several years, plenty of self-reflection and a magical visit from a leprechaun to help Taylor solve the mystery of the missing mushrooms.
This coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of an age-old foraging tradition, promises to captivate the hearts and minds of young as well as older readers and inspire them to connect with nature as they appreciate the wonders around them.
The book’s exquisite illustrations were created by Ukrainian artist Deylik Larisa, who beautifully captured the book’s themes of kindness and compassion even in the midst of the war around her.
“My biggest hope is that parents will share this book with their children and talk about the characteristics of sharing and kindness and leaving something for others,” Holt added.
About the Author
Described by one editor as “an accomplished narrative writer,” J. David Holt credits his high school English teacher, who he recalls as a “taskmaster,” for pushing him to write every day and encouraging him to use his first initial. Holt has written numerous magazine articles, many of them about the history of the American West. He is particularly interested in discovering and writing about the “truth” of American history. Now retired from a career in advertising and living in the mountains of Colorado, Holt reflected on memories from his own childhood and those of his own children to craft The Mystery of Mushroom Valley. With it, he hopes to share the values of sharing time, friendships, personal discovery and encouraging others.
Connect with the author at https://www.linkedin.com/in/
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