Title: Lamellia: The Wizard in the Forest
Author: Gloria D. Gonsalves
Illustrator: Silja Schüler
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-7283-9359-9
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Pages: 38
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Pacific Book Review
The personification of mushrooms living in an enchanted forest come to life in this creative illustrated children’s book, Lamellia: The Wizard in the Forest. Author Gloria D. Gonsalves has teamed up with her talented illustrator Silja Schüler to synergistically conjure up a story of unforgettable characters, kind and compassionate in their tone, yet full of adventure, integrity and fortitude.
When King Polipoli of the Lamellia mushrooms exiled his Queen Nobilia to the far corner of the kingdom, their adopted human child, Tiara, was turned to mushroom as was meant to be after receiving a cure from the forest of Eucalyptia. When Tiara began a journey into the forest, she met a group of little brown mushrooms with names such as: Galerina, Misena, Russula and Tubaria. Then they all set off on a journey together so that Tiara to find her exiled mother who lived far away in the Greener Forest. Queen Nobilia was casted away because she would sing a haunting song, beautiful yet designed to protect the mushrooms in the forest. The story climaxes with a magical moment when the little white mushrooms separated from the group of brown and other colored mushrooms, and formed a shape together of a big white Amanitan mushroom; mystical powers began to happen.
None of this would be credible without the “seeing is believing” illustrations from artist Silja Schüler. Her water-color pictures are interleaved seamlessly into the dream-like fantasy of the storyline; bringing Tiara’s adventure clearly focused into the minds of youngsters being read to, or reading this adventure book. The written voice of “Auntie Glo,” as we learn at the end is how the author has fondly become known, is loving, non-threatening while also extraordinarily educational; as many of the names of the characters are in fact different species of mushrooms.
As many people know psilocybin comes from a type of mushrooms giving psychedelic experiences; yet the creativity of Lamellia: The Wizard in the Forest comes from a place of inherent genius in storytelling, within the mind of Gloria D. Gonsalves. She is an acclaimed author of other children’s stories within the damp and dim shadows of forests, among the mushrooms who come to life within their own worlds. Picking up this book is a child’s ticket into the imagination of this talented duo of storytellers.
