Apostle Islands lullaby: Local author creates children’s book

Book cover art showing a family of 3 in a kayak

September 22, 2025

Anyone who has spent time on Lake Superior knows that this lake has a voice. It is with the voice of Mother Superior in mind that local author and artist Michelle Lee has created a new children’s book that sings of sea caves and lake waves.

Interior pages of the book showing the family kayaking into the sea caves and text on the other page

Written, in large part, while on a sailboat on Lake Superior, Paddle Paddle Splish Splish is a lyrical lullaby for children set in the Apostle Islands. Its arc takes the reader on a paddle through a litany of famous spots in the Apostle Islands from Bark Bay’s quiet water, deep into the mystery of the Meyers Beach sea caves, around Sand Island, to the singing sands of Julian Bay, a sunrise to sundown adventure that will connect children to the beauty and adventure of the islands and leave them with sweet dreams of gulls calling and waves lapping.

Lee, who did both the writing and created the watercolor-style artwork for the book, knows well the beauty of Lake Superior. She and her husband David have been sailing and exploring the Islands since 2015. Their son Aidan and daughter-in-law Alison now own and operate Trek & Trail in Bayfield. Lee hopes that Paddle Paddle Splish Splish will “nurture curiosity, calm, and a love for the natural world” in children like her grandson Theo to whom she dedicates the book.

Front cover of the book Paddle Paddle Splish Splash

Front cover

Rear book cover with author photo and text

Rear cover

Many child psychologists believe that our love of the outdoors can begin very early and that the bonds formed with nature even as an infant can be strong and long-lasting. This book, with its “rhythmic, repeating lines that mimic the soothing sounds of paddles dipping into the water” is a wonderful way to introduce the soothing voice of Mother Superior to infants and set them on a lifelong journey of discovering its beauty.

To purchase a copy of Paddle Paddle Splish Splish: A Kayaking Adventure in the Apostle Islands please visit our online store.

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