"Carrot loves his nice warm bed. But soon he wants to explore the big wide world. Who will help him pull up his roots and move on?"
- Made from recycled paper
- Printed with vegetable-based inks
- Non-GMO seeds
- Sustainable & biodegradable
- 100% plastic-free
Why We Love Them
We love everything about this wee book! Encouraging kids to use their imagination, helping them to connect with the outdoors, their food, and interacting with their surroundings. It's all good and important stuff! These would also make the perfect gift for a wee person in your life.
FAQ's
What age is the book suitable for?
We would say that it's suitable for any age! The story is probably most suited to younger children up who are read to by a grown-up, or children who have just started to read by themselves. However we do know that older children will still love to get involved, perhaps reading to younger children, and they will enjoy helping with the planting and growing of the carrots!
What is plantable seed paper?
Plantable seed paper is a special handmade paper embedded with vegetable seeds. When the paper is planted in a pot of soil, vegetables will grow from the paper, amazing right! Please note that because our paper is made by hand, there may be a slight variation in the thickness from sheet to sheet.
How do I grow my own carrots from your book?
It’s really simple, place your page on soil that is slightly compressed, but not too hard-packed. Add 4mm of soil on top of the paper and give it a good drink of water. After that, make sure it’s always moist and in a sunny spot. You should see sprouts within 7-10 days and a full carrot growing too big for their bed after about 6 weeks.
What is the seed paper book made from?
All the seed paper is made with 100% donated materials from a variety of sources to help save trees and reduce waste sent to landfills. A large amount of the paper is made from recycled material, to be as eco-friendly as possible and to try and ensure your carrots aren’t the last of a generation.
What inks are used?
The inks Willsow print with are vegetable-based and the dyes in the ink are organic and readily decompose.
When is the best time of year to plant the paper?
Spring is the best time to plant if you live in an area where the ground does not freeze. However, Autumn is ideal if you live in a climate where the ground stays frozen for several months. Willsow seed paper can be planted indoors year-round in a pot of soil near a window that gets plenty of sunlight and is given plenty of water to drink.
Are the seeds in the paper non-GMO?
Yes, Willsow seed paper only contains seeds that are of the highest quality. All the seeds we use are NON-GMO (genetically modified organism).
The Brand
WILLSOW BOOKS
"Willsow books are the first of its kind, never before have you been able to plant a children’s book and get to meet the main character!
Hi! I’m Tom of Willsow books. Some time ago I discovered you could make business cards out of seed paper and grow a flower or plant from that card, pretty cool idea right? It certainly is, but I knew there was potential for more and eventually had the idea of making a children’s book that you could plant and eventually ‘bring to life’ the main character to meet for yourself! After sitting on the idea for some time (and after a couple of Guinness’s), I decided there was no time like the present to crack on and give it a go! I’m part of a family printing company that has been going strong for 76 years and the 4th generation to manage the business. So with a printing background and all the facilities already in place to create a book, I felt I could turn a pipedream into a reality. But like Batman without Robin, Tom without Jerry, or Carrots without Peas, I didn’t want to go into the world of Willsow alone. I discussed the idea with my good friend James and as soon as he saw the first draft print, he exclaimed that he wanted in! James is from a family of gardeners and some of his favourite childhood memories are sitting in the garden with his Dad popping peas out of their pods…Or wandering around his Grandpas garden plucking blackberries and picking apples to create the world’s best fruit crumble on a Sunday. Together, we feel like we make a pretty formidable team, ready to take over the world, one seed at a time.
We want to get books back into the hands of youngsters, get children back into the garden learning, growing and getting the chance to meet their favourite characters all at the same time. We aim to produce imagination from a story and transform it into real life.
As well as giving children the opportunity to learn, get out into the garden and read more, we’re also extremely passionate about the environment and the improvements we can make to pass on to the future generations. That’s why Willsow books are only made from 100% recycled paper, the ink is biodegradable and instead of using a toxic glue, our pages are stitched together using a recyclable polyester. We’re both very proud to say that Willsow books are the first of its kind. Never have you ever been able to plant a children’s book and meet the main characters and at the same time learn about our environment and the potential it has! In our stories, the end is only the beginning."