A familiar forest trail near Grosse Isle has become the unlikely inspiration behind a new children’s book that encourages families to slow down, embrace imagination and rediscover wonder.
Local author Corey King recently released Something Must Be Done, a children’s book inspired by walks through a wooded trail near his home — and by a realization that adult seriousness can sometimes crowd out childhood whimsy.
“There’s a small forest trail near our home in Grosse Isle that I love walking through,” King said. “In the summer, the trees are thick enough that you can’t see any houses. It felt like a tiny escape into nature.”
That feeling shifted when someone in the community began decorating trees along the trail with faces — something King initially resisted.
“I wanted that space to stay untouched,” he said. “But seeing how my rigid thinking was changing my kids’ perspective, I realized we were losing an opportunity for whimsy and imagination.”
Those same decorated trees have since become “family friends,” he said, eagerly visited each time they walk the trail. That shift — from adult frustration to childlike wonder — sits at the heart of Something Must Be Done.
The title itself is meant to gently poke fun at grown-up urgency.
“The title satirically frames adult frustration,” King explained. “Parents carry a lot of responsibilities and stress, and that often clashes with the slower, more playful pace of children.”
In the story, that frustration becomes exaggerated and absurd, inspired in part by the style of Robert Munsch. The repeated phrase “something must be done” becomes a mantra for the adults, while children lean further into imagination and rebellious play.
“Without spoiling the ending, the real ‘something’ that gets done isn’t what the adults expect,” King said. “It ends up being an internal shift that changes how they see their children and themselves.”
Recommended for readers aged five to nine, the book is written to engage both children and adults. Younger readers are drawn in by humour and silliness, while older children — and parents — may notice deeper emotional layers.
“My goal was to have it resonate with the whole family,” King said. “The whole idea is to have a really accessible layer of the story that reveals new layers as children age.”
The book is set in the fictional town of Big Island and follows siblings Harriet and Henry Hartley as they discover a mysterious forest song that sparks a joyful, kid-led movement to protect imagination and wild spaces. It blends playful wordplay with heartfelt themes and is illustrated by Winnipeg artist Christian Amiel Miranda.
For King, the most rewarding part of the process has been sharing the story with children close to home.
“The most rewarding part has been reading it to kids and hearing feedback from neighbours and families in the community,” he said. “That creates a sense of connection I’ve missed with many of my other creative projects.”
Living in Grosse Isle continues to influence his work, he added.
“Towns this size feel human-scaled,” King said. “You’re surrounded by nature, you recognize faces, and people look out for each other. That mix of past, present and future is incredibly inspiring — even magical.”
While the full public launch is planned for later this spring, King has opened a limited early release. Copies of Something Must Be Done are available online, with signed copies available by request.
Visit: zenfri.ca/publishing
King has also donated copies to both branches of the South Interlake Regional Library and will be reading at Teulon and Stonewall in the next couple of weeks.
