Plant Pets Cover Reveal!

and a giveaway

Bea recommends keeping plants in your bedroom so you can make taking care of them part of your routine.

Dear Frog Troublers, we are so excited to share the cover of Plant Pets: 27 Cool Houseplants to Grow and Love. Co-written by Bea and Belle (just like the FTT), this book started when we realized that Bea had more than thirty houseplants in her room, a pandemic hobby that she shares, step by step, in this fun, funny, beautifully illustrated book.

Here’s some ad copy from Storey Press, our awesome publisher:

Maybe every kid can't have an animal pet—but everyone can have a plant pet! That's the message of ten-year-old author and houseplant enthusiast Beatrice (Bea) Boggs Allen. In this friendly book written specially for kids, Bea tells all about the easiest, most fun, and affordable plants that can be grown indoors in pots. She shares her first-hand tips on caring for each plant, along with descriptions of each one's unique attributes, from air plants to succulents, terrariums, and even carnivorous plants—the ones that eat insects! The lively pages show up-close photos of each plant, along with funny illustrations that reflect Bea's cheeky voice. Kids ages 7 and up will love Bea's ideas for activities they can do to enjoy these amazing plants and share them with friends and family.

Even though Plant Pets was written for kids, it’s not just for kids. A cool thing that we’ve noticed with early reader reviews is that adults and teens say they love Plant Pets too, and find that Bea’s down-to-earth advice demystifies the process of choosing and caring for houseplants—even orchids!

The book comes out on August 27—a date Bea points out matches the number of plant species we talk about in the book. That feels like a long time to wait (especially to a kid!), but there’s something important you can do now.

Pre-order the book from your favorite local bookstore (ours is McIntyre’s), from Bookshop.org, from Storey, or from wherever you order books! Here’s why:

-Pre-orders help the publisher, reviewers, and bookstores know that people are really excited about a book, and they should definitely have some on hand.

-Pre-orders will help us set up a fun book tour and school and library visits.

-And your pre-orders will spread the word about an awesome hobby that anyone can do, with minimal to zero expense and no screens (Bea does a great job in the book of explaining how you can share, swap, and get free plants).

So, in the words of Bea’s favorite artist, are you ready for it?

What do you think?!!

We love the vibrant colors, the fun illustrations, the cute speech bubbles, and the way the designer and illustrator incorporated the language and ideas of the book into the images. For example, that jade plant at the top left includes little toys, an idea introduced to us by our friend Jeff Baldwin and revealed in our chapter on orchids. (This book is full of interviews, with everyone from our vet to a horticulture student at NC State.) Bea also loves how Plant Pets, including the cover, includes photos of actual plants and plant-related crafts and activities.

We can’t wait for you to see the whole book, which is even more adorable and informative than this spectacular cover. And for those of you who want to get a sneak peek, we have a giveaway!

Pre-order the book today for a friend, and tell us in the comments who it’s for.

For example, maybe it’s for a grandchild, a neighbor, or someone else who you think would like to know more about houseplants. Tell us in the comments, and we’ll enter your name into a drawing for an early copy, which we’ll send to you, signed by Bea, as soon as we get them!

Please spread the word about this book, a true labor of love and friendship, and the always-free FTT!