Tree to Book to Tree – The Book You Can Plant!

Living in a world where technology rules, it's becoming more and more apparent how important it is to teach children about books. Lots of kids, for example, don't know where books come from, how they are made, or what happens to them once they get thrown away. Perhaps we could take a leaf out of Pequeño Editor's book (pun intended), and do something assertive and different to teach the kids of today a thing or two about books and the rainforests. And what better way to do that than create a book that a child can plant after reading, which will grow into a magnificent tree. Around 150 acres of rainforest is destroyed every minute, and it's surprising that a lot of people aren't aware of this. Pequeño Editor wanted to do something about it, and so, decided to make some changes to a book they'd already had out on the market for a couple of years. Mi Papá Estuvo en la Selva, which translates to My Dad was in the Jungle, is aimed at children between the ages of eight and 12. It tells the tale of Theo's dad, who took a trip through the rainforest in Ecuador, as told by Theo. As part of the company's Tree Book Tree project, the book has been remade to be entirely eco-friendly, hand-stitched with ecological ink and acid-free pages. This means that the book is completely biodegradable, and won't harm the environment in any way. The story covers a range of topics about the rainforest, including the cultural diversity that can be found there and the destruction of the natural environment. It also reinforces that we should respect all living things. The tale is even based on the real adventures of author Gusti, in the very same jungle. Gusti is one of the world's more renowned and award-winning children's illustrators, though the artwork in Mi Papá Estuvo en la Selva can't be credited to him. This came down do the talented French illustrator Anne Decis, who has provided the art for hundreds of children's books. But we haven't even got to the exciting part yet! Embedded in the paper-pulp of the books' covers are seeds for the jacaranda, a tree native to Argentina. Once the book has been read, you don't have to worry about selling or giving it away, or even throwing it out. Instead, the book can be planted in the ground, and as it breaks down, the seeds in the cover will grow into a jacaranda tree. A tree made the book and the book goes on to make a tree. Visitors to one of the bookstores in Argentina are able to see the project in action, with one of the books planted in soil in a glass tank on display, already sprouting. Hopefully, other publishing firms will follow this initiative and realise how important it is for children to know about books. Perhaps Tree Book Tree will encourage them to come up with their own novel ways of giving back to the environment! Image source: Pequeño Editor