An Upminster mother-of-three has added branded merchandise to her first children’s book ahead of Christmas.
Jane Rhodes, 51, published her book – Margot and the Magical Plant – ten years after coming up with the idea.
The tale is one she told to her own children and the protagonist is named after her grandmother, Margot.
Jane hopes the book, which follows Margot as she plants her tomato seeds, is educational and will inspire readers to start growing their own produce.
She chose a tomato for the “educational element” as it goes through many changes as a plant.
The Christmas package includes a book, badge, plant pot, bag, sticker sheet, keyring and tomato seeds, which Jane said can be “planted indoors in January”.
She said: “I hope the new merchandise will make a nice stocking filler and bring the concept of the story to life.”
In the future, Jane hopes her book will be sold “everywhere”.
She said: “I would like to see it in shops where people can walk into a supermarket and buy it.”
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