What, no fairies?

We are dainty little fairies, ever singing ever dancing
We indulge in our vagaries in a fashion most entrancing
If you ask us what's the function of our never ceasing motion
We reply without compunction that we haven't any notion..

I came across this very fine example of Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita out on Sutton Heath. Although it is poisonous-ish (death has been reported, but only if you eat 15 or 16 at a time), it is nothing like as poisonous as Amanita Phalloides, the dull greenish grey Deathcap, that will knock you down dead within hours.

Rather, the Fly agaric is known to have psychoactive effects, although (as Wikipedia puts it) unlike other mushrooms "the effects of A. muscaria have generally been considered undesirable for recreational use." Quite.

All in all, I'd say this is a very very odd fungus indeed for illustrators to make such use of in children's picture books.

But they do.

Generally with a fairy sitting on top. Off her face, presumably