Lark and the Listening Forest
Book One of the Body Compass Adventures
Lark does not know that the forest has been waiting.
But the map does.
Early concept image. Final illustrated cover coming Summer 2026.
Lark and the Listening Forestis a children’s adventure story about a curious child, a living map, and five animal guides who teach Lark to listen with the whole body.
This is not a book about sitting still and being calm.
It is a book about feeling strong, supported, and at home in your body.
Along the way, Lark learns to feel the ground beneath both feet, breathe into the back and sides, let the arms and ribs support the neck, and move with curiosity instead of force.
Each animal offers a simple movement practice children can try at home, before school, or before bed. A note for grown-ups explains the body mechanics behind each exercise in plain language.
Who it is for
Children ages 4 to 8, and the grown-ups who read with them.
What children will explore
Feeling steady through the feet
Breathing into the back and sides
Letting the arms and ribs support the neck
Curling, rolling, and finding the way forward
Moving with curiosity instead of force
Be the First to Know
Lark and the Listening Forest is coming in summer 2026 in print and digital.
Join the list to be notified when it is available, and receive a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the book. Please check “Sign up for news and updates” so I can send you the book updates you’re requesting.
A note from Kelly
I wrote this series because I believe children deserve to feel at home in their bodies early.
Many of us grow up learning how our bodies should look before we learn how our bodies can support us. These stories are an invitation to breathe wide, stand rooted, and trust that the body has wisdom.
Your body is not broken.
It is listening.
And it has been waiting for you to listen back.