I fell in love with my first tiny house when I was in fourth grade, and it was the size of a mushroom. The book “Under a Mushroom” by Anita Lobel was located in the bookshelf of my classroom, and during nearly every free reading period, I would take it to my desk and pore over the delightful illustrations. They showed small, fantasy creatures living under mushrooms complete with small furniture, pots and pans, miniature wood stoves and even curtains made of flowers. After school I would run home and attempt to make my own “mushroom house” underneath a pine tree.
The story is about a Troll family who live under a mushroom in a meadow. They are content in their tiny home, but a bit bored. One day it begins to rain and various other creatures (Glumps, Dimmles, Gizzygonks, Tomtes and the like) show up to come out of the damp. Mr. and Mrs. Troll happily invite their guests in for tea until the party becomes too crowded and the various dancing and chaos knocks over the mushroom. The Trolls bemoan the loss of their home, until the sun comes out and they realize that overnight dozens of mushrooms have popped up all around the meadow – with enough room for everyone.
By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog