Besuch für Friedel und Flupsi – ein veganes Kinderkochbuch [Visit for Friedel and Flupsi – a vegan children’s cookbook] written by Moïra Himmelsbach and illustrated by Daisy Lotta, offers a refreshing perspective on the multi-layered values and insight a book can bring into a child’s life. Available through Next Level, a progressive German vegan children’s book publisher, the cookbook encourages children to ask questions. This new company publishes print products that are completely free of animal components.
When asked if she realized that printing vegan was an option, founder Moïra Himmelsbach responded, ‘When I started Next Level, I already knew that animal ingredients were being used in books. I got into conversation with some publishers, some of whom didn’t even know that books are not vegan per se. I decided for the vegan children’s book publisher to print only with V-Label to ensure transparency.’
To print the book, Next Level chose Oeding, which specialises in certified vegan printing (see ‘Begin with the end in mind’ in Pulp 22) and Fedrigoni papers. Next Level states that ‘Veganism advocates respect for animals, humans and nature … this includes vegan content, vegan and environmentally friendly production and fair remuneration for the bookmakers.’
The characters, Friedel and Flupsi bring these ideals to life through their comic-style adventures. The book was published in September 2022.