The Mushroom Man has arrived at its thirtieth anniversary despite breaking every rule of picture-book storytelling. It is not a story about children: The only kids make a cameo appearance to taunt the mushroom man in the street. It is not a heroic story: The mushroom man toils away in a mushroom farm, coming to resemble a mushroom himself. The story doesn't teem with personalities: The mushroom man's existence is solitary. So why does it endure? Because it is a story of true and generous friendship. This commemorative edition includes a new introduction from Barry Moser remembering his collaboration and friendship with Ethel Pochocki. "This remains one of my all-time favorite books for kids, and some of these illustrations are among the best I've ever done," Barry writes.