Toffe Peren |Tolle Knolle | Quirky Carrots is a collaborative project by Annette Behrens and Carina Hesper. The project deals with fruits and vegetables that have a different shape than the ones we usually see in the supermarket: Tolle Knolle is an ode to the quirky tomato, the joyful eggplant and the fig that is a snail. Despite all the striking and often playful shapes, it's about a serious topic: still, about 30% of our food worldwide is wasted. Part of that is the fruit and vegetables that are sorted out and often destroyed due to unusual shapes, sizes, or colors.

The Tolle Knolle children's book is a cardboard book for the very young: marvel, learn to count, and unleash your imagination! The stars in this book are the octopus-lemon, the bell pepper monster, the cucumber sausage – and many more! Have you ever seen them in real life? Aren't they extraordinary and lovable? 

The book was chosen as one of the Best Dutch Book Designs of 2021 and exhibited at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Banana Fishbooks in Shanghai, among others.

In the memory game, Tolle Knolle Memo-Spiel, two different pictures of the same fruit must be matched. This further emphasizes how many different shapes there are. Books, games and postcards are produced sustainably in The Netherlands. Children’s book and game are available in English, Dutch and German.

QUIRKY CARROT’S CHILDREN’S BOOK

What elevates Toffe Peren to the exceptional is mainly the photographic concept and the consistent way this has been implemented. Each brightly coloured page presents vegetables or fruit in unusual shapes. These images spark the imagination, while at the same time highlighting food waste in a totally original way. In the final analysis, this is above all a book that celebrates diversity in an unexpected way, and shows that an unconventional shape can be beautiful and exceptional.

Jury report at The Best Dutch Book Designs 2021

Celebrating Toffe Peren The Children’s Book as part of the exibition The Best
Dutch Book Designs 2021
at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

QUIRKY CARROTS MEMORY GAME

In the Quirky Carrot’s memory game, the star roles are played by the cool pear, the crooked cucumber, and the eggplant triplets. They are beautiful, especially because they look so delightfully quirky. This game consists of 24 pairs of vegetables and fruits. Try to find each matching pair.

Look closely! Each specimen is unique; no pair looks alike :)

You can buy the Quirky Carrots memo game at Manufactum