Books

This Book Will Grow Into A Tree...Literally

by E. Ce Miller

Thanks to things like the Wild-inspired hiking craze and environmentally friendly leave-no-trace ethics, earth-lovers everywhere find ourselves reciting the mantra: “Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints.” But if you venture into the wilderness with a copy of Argentine publisher Pequeño Editor’s new plantable children’s book, Mi Papá Estuvo en la Selva, you can leave more than just footprints behind: a tree!

Hand-stitching and ecologically friendly ink aren't all this little book, whose title translates to My Dad Was in the Jungle, has to offer. Its acid-free paper is also made with seeds, which, after the book is planted in the ground, will grow into a jacaranda tree. I repeat: THIS BOOK WILL GROW INTO A TREE.

According to the Huffington Post, the plantable Mi Papá Estuvo en la Selva is part of a new project called Tree Book Tree, which aims "to teach kids ages 8 to 12 where books come from, as well as provide them with a hands-on way to give back to the environment."

In Argentina — a country where more than 6 million new books are printed each month — Mi Papá Estuvo en la Selva is displayed in bookstore windows throughout the capital city of Buenos Aires, where it can even be found starting to sprout leaves! Yeah, I'm totally geeking out over here.

If you're like me and you can't wait to order your own book to grow, there are lots of other plantable products to check out as well; think: bookmarks, wedding invitations, gift boxes, and business cards. Now instead of sending your enemies glitter, you can send them all your mean thoughts written on plantable seed paper. Hey, it's a thought.

Image: kimsongsak/Fotolia; Giphy