Some of us spend a whole lifetime trying to grow into someone we were never meant to be.
An illustrated fable about becoming who you already are.
Coming October 31
Hear the opening, read by the author
Carried by a great raven from the Beyond Place and planted in a meadow ringed by forest, a single acorn takes root among trees it longs to become. It strains toward the pines’ straight height, envies the birch its elegance, and aches to bear the apple tree’s sweet fruit — certain that anything is more worthy than what it already is.
But growing means weathering more than seasons. Through storm and scar, frost and long sleep, the seedling discovers that the shapes we force ourselves into are not the ones we are made for — and that the most valuable thing in all the world is to become, truly, oneself.
In the tradition of The Velveteen Rabbit and The Little Prince, Acorn is an illustrated fable of self-discovery, acceptance, and expression: a story simple enough for a child to love, and deep enough to grow with the reader who returns to it for years.
[ORDER SECTION HEADER PHOTO: the signed book, bookmark and bookplate out in an autumn meadow, from Jacob’s shoot]
Signed, and wrapped up with a few gifts from the meadow
In Canada? Signed copies ship to you too ⟶ · Ordering from Europe? Kelly posts signed copies from the Netherlands ⟶ · Just want to listen? Get the audiobook ⟶
Free with any order
Becoming: a live workshop with Jacob
Order Acorn in any format, here or wherever you buy books, and join me on Saturday, November 14, for 75 minutes of Acorn's story, a few simple practices from all my books, and some quiet time with your journal.
10 am Mountain · noon Eastern · 5 pm UK · 6 pm central Europe
Can't make it live? Everyone who registers gets the replay.
$32 · US shipping included
The same hardcover is $26.99 at the big online stores. For five dollars more, it comes signed, with the extras, the audiobook, and the shipping.
Ships around the October 31 release. For holiday delivery, order by November 20.
The Signed Edition, posted to Canada
$42 USD · shipping to Canada included
Ships from Boise around the October 31 release and takes about 8–10 days to arrive. For holiday delivery, order by mid-November. Canadian buyers may owe a little GST on delivery.
The Signed Edition, posted from the Netherlands
€37 · shipping included
Kelly van Koppenhagen, who illustrated the book, posts these herself, in plastic-free paper packaging, to the EU, the UK, Switzerland, and Norway.
Ships around the October 31 release. For holiday delivery, order by mid-November. Buyers in the UK, Switzerland, and Norway may owe import charges on delivery.
Outside the US, Canada, and Europe? We can send a signed copy to most countries for the price of the book plus actual international postage (usually $28–35). Email [email protected] with your country, and we’ll send you a quote and a payment link.
Acorn is everywhere books are sold: hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook
In Europe: bol.com
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
$6.99 · instant download
Thirty-six minutes, read by Jacob, with original music and the sounds of the meadow, the storm, and the night. Listen in your browser or the free BookFunnel app, or keep the DRM-free MP3s. The Illustrated Companion comes with it: Kelly’s drawings to look at while you listen.
Sending it to someone? Add their email and it goes straight to them.
The Illustrator
Kelly van Koppenhagen draws nature, feelings, and the things we sometimes need to hear. Growing up surrounded by woods, she has always sensed a certain wisdom in the way things grow, change, and find their places — and for years she has worked alongside young people navigating their own hard weather. That spirit runs through the illustrations she shares with a large audience as @drawingplantlady. Illustrating Acorn was a natural homecoming.
“I’ve always believed the small, growing things have something to teach us. Illustrating Acorn gave me a way to put some of that wisdom on paper.”
— Kelly
The Author
Jacob Nordby is a writer, creative guide, and lifelong student of becoming. Through his books and his work, he has helped many people reclaim their creativity and find their own voices — a path that began with his own long unlearning of who he was told to be. That thread runs through everything he writes, and with Acorn it finds its way into a story.
“Acorn showed up as a story while working with a client one day, and then would never leave me alone until I wrote it. I love Acorn because, in some way, this little nut is all of us. We are all becoming.” — Jacob
Signed copies go out around the October 31 release: from Boise by USPS (Canadian orders take about 8–10 days), and from the Netherlands by PostNL, with tracking. Orders placed after release ship within a few days.
Yes. In the US and Canada, add a name in the inscription box (up to 30 characters) and Jacob will write it in. Ordering several? Reply to your receipt with the other names. European copies carry a bookplate signed by both Jacob and Kelly.
It’s a fable for adults and all ages, in the tradition of The Velveteen Rabbit and The Little Prince: simple enough for a child to love, deep enough to grow with the reader who returns to it for years.
By email, the moment you order, along with The Illustrated Companion (PDF). Listen in your browser or the free BookFunnel app, or download the DRM-free MP3s.
In the US, order by November 20. In Canada and Europe, order by mid-November. The audiobook arrives instantly, so it’s never too late for that one.
Reply to your order email, or write to [email protected].
Read and hear the opening, free
Leave your name and step inside. You’ll read Acorn from its very first page to the edge of the storm, and hear Jacob read the opening aloud. Afterward, a few letters about how this book came to be.
You’ll start reading right away. Letters come from [email protected], so add us to your contacts and peek in your spam folder just in case. Your address stays between us.
ACORN
A Tale of Becoming · Written by Jacob Nordby · Illustrated by Kelly van Koppenhagen
Manifesto Publishing House, Inc.
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