The Mushroom of Doom! (Mushroom of Doom #1)

A mushroom who “used to be a nice guy. A fun guy” descends into comic villainy after experiencing a series of unfortunate events, including being passed over as a pizza topping (in favor of pineapple) and becoming consigned to the compost. Furious and frustrated in a way that should resonate with anyone who’s had a rough go, the protagonist assembles a compost-fungi army to wreak havoc on its enemies. But the minions literally shrivel due to self-centered leadership, and as the mushroom faces its just deserts, the pineapple swoops in for a rescue. Bad days happen, hints this work, but blaming others is poor spore-tsmanship. Adults will probably be more attuned to some of the book’s mob movie spoofery, but there’s pure kid appeal in over-the-top narration by Davies (the One Little series) and cartooning by Elliott (I’m Not Scared, You Are!), which goes above and beyond with intriguing textures and dramatic compositions. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)