When Channing meets a manatee while paddleboarding, their playful day turns into an unexpected mystery! This heartwarming Gulf Coast adventure reminds us that friendship, like the sea, is full of surprises.

Channing gets a surprise visitor while paddleboarding with her aunt. A curious manatee spends the day with them in the canals off the Gulf of Mexico.

When Channing’s new friend begins delivering things found in the canal, they are all taken by surprise.

What is this friendly manatee up to?

Bio:

Nessie Kids, wolfprintMedia’s children’s imprint, grew from a simple idea: tell beautiful stories families can share. Founder Seth Sjostrom, author of more than 30 titles (starting with the thriller Blood in the Snow), began writing for kids and asked artist Michele Sjostrom to illustrate the first Hurricane Channing book. Michele, a devoted oil-on-canvas painter, completed 47 original canvases, filling her studio with scenes from the story. To meet the pace of new ideas, Seth gifted her an iPad with a note, “figure it out!”, and Michele translated her painterly eye into hand-drawn digital art.

Together, they now create the animal-loving adventures of Hurricane Channing, the understanding-first tales of Boots the Dog, and the travel-inspired Watercolor Towns coffee-table art books. Their best ongoing collaboration includes their son, Hayden, who contributes ideas and stories (with a father-son project slated around Halloween 2025). Beyond books, Nessie Kids engages families through events, playful merch, and keepsakes.

The Sjostroms’ partnership, two exes who chose friendship, creativity, and co-parenting, offers a quiet message of hope: with patience, care, and a child-first mindset, it’s possible to build something joyful together after divorce. Their mission is simple: make stories that nurture curiosity, empathy, and delight.