Created in response to the epidemic of childhood obesity, the company produced award-winning children’s picture books focusing on food literacy, and health and wellbeing. 

While most children’s books use illustrations, Dr. Sissel’s books drew upon findings in neuroscience and child development that showed that young children needed real-life pictures to help them learn to identify foods and to encourage them to eat more fruits and vegetables. 

Thus, the company used full-color photography in engaging books for 3 – 8 year-olds that depicted settings such Farmers’ Markets, grocery stores, families at dinner, and children in high chairs eating their vegetables. 

This approach to an unmet need attracted state and federal agencies such as SNAP, WIC, Cooperative Extension, Head Start, and school systems in almost all 50 states, and over the course of 11 years resulted in bulk sales of hundreds of thousands of books and teaching materials.  However, in 2016 a decision was made to pivot to digital resources, and Words To Grow On was born.

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