Children’s book Play Wild recalled over unsafe edible flower advice

Play Wild has been recalled after the author noticed vegetable flowers were incorrectly listed as edible. Photo / Whangārei Quarry Gardens

The publisher of a New Zealand children’s book is recalling retail copies across the country after the author mistakenly claimed toxic plants are safe to eat.

Bateman Books today announced it was resupplying all stock of the activity book Play Wild to correct a mistake on page 46 listing vegetable flowers as edible.

The NZSA Best First Book Award 2025 finalist encourages tamariki to partake in nature-based craft projects, cataloguing a variety of activities they can enjoy in the outdoors.

“We want tamariki to spend time outside and be connected to the natural world, and we apologise for publishing any unclear information,” author Rachel Clare said in a press release.

“Bateman has done the right thing by removing the books from sale until we can correct the page.”

Bateman Books spokeswoman Lise Clayton said the author noticed the inaccuracy while working on a separate piece about edible flowers and alerted the publishing house immediately.

Customers are being informed of the blunder while the corrected books are resupplied, a process expected to take between a week and 10 days.

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“But we really want to get the message out there to families who have already purchased the book. We encourage them to turn to p46 and cross out the words ‘and vegetables’ with a thick marker,” Clare said.

While the flowers of beans, peas, zucchini, salad greens and brassicas can be eaten, nightshade family flora are not edible, including the flowers of potatoes, tomatoes, capsicums, aubergines and chillies.

Toxic flowers such as those from potatoes usually taste “incredibly hot, astringent and bitter”, meaning tamariki are unlikely to continue eating them, but Clare said “children should always check with an adult that a plant from the garden is edible before consuming any part of it”.