Picture Book Exploration: The Belles of Lake Leelanau

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Today’s Picture Book Exploration is a lovely read on the sanctity of life and the beauty of family. Just as we are starting to head into what I call the rollercoaster part of the year, I wanted to pause and refocus on my family. When this little beauty showed up in my mailbox, thanks to the wonderful folks at Holy Heroes,  it was love at first sight and I couldn’t wait to share it with you! So let me introduce you to The Belles of Lake Leelanau by Ann Mulligan, illustrated by Dave Messing.

The Belles of Lake Leelanau by Ann Mulligan, illustrated by Dave Messing

This is the story of Irene, a little twin born with a big hurdle in her path to growing up big and strong. However her family’s love, generosity and care will triumph over that hurdle. And today Irene is 92 years old with almost 100 descendants! The impact that one act of generosity and selfless love can produce is astounding. One life has a ripple effect and enriches each life that it touches, who will in turn touch other lives, etc to infinity (“and beyond” as my kids would add, thanks Toy Story, lol). No one is insignificant or too small to make a difference. What difference will your life make in the world around you?

The picture book

This picture book is an absolute delight! From cover to cover, Dave Messing’ illustrations of rural life in Michigan in the earlier half of the Twentieth century is simply enchanting in its soft colorways. For those of you who have been around the blog for a little while, you know how much I love true stories that are passed down from generation to generation. Ann Mulligan’s true tale of Irene’s miraculous life did not disappoint! What a tale, what a life and what long lasting impact the self sacrificing love of one grandmother has had on the world. Truly beautiful!

Geography

This last year I have discovered so many new picture books that take place in Michigan! I think Michigan must be the state with the most picture books! See below for some of them, related directly to Irene’s story. Traveling via picture books is one of my favorite forms of travel. Many people do not even know how to get around without their phones anymore, and I have really pushed my kids to learn how to read a map. Not just out of rebellion against technology but mainly because meandering through a map in search of your destination is a beautiful form of travel as well. Enjoy making your own maps and finding all the wonderful places. Find Michigan and Lake Leelanau on a map of the USA.

Virtue

Can you imagine doing what Grandma Belle did? She completely gave up her life for that of her granddaughter’s. Not in the “I’ll take a bullet for you” type of sacrifice but in a daily, around the clock service to save a little life. I can well imagine that Grandma Belle did nothing apart from taking care of Irene, and that requires much greater bravery than to take a bullet for someone… Any mom will tell you that 😉 Thank you Mamas for your self-sacrifice. Be generous like Grandma Belle was, find a pregnancy center near you and volunteer some time to help out or donate diapers and formula based on their needs.

Prayer

The Catholic faith offers so many beautiful prayers and devotions. Such richness can oftentimes be overwhelming. And then you discover the small and hidden little prayers that fit your spirituality and you embrace them. The Angelus is one of these prayers for me. It truly is the rhythm of my day. It is so beautiful, so short and a wonderful way to recenter my day on the Lord. Learn the Angelus by heart and set an alarm on your phone (bonus for a church bells tone).

Extra Reads

Here are a couple of these delightful Michigan picture books that I mentioned above. Michigan has officially made it on my Bucket List of states to visit, because of picture books! (Yes, I am working on a Michigan Picture Book List, but it will take me a while). To anyone living in Michigan, I am totally jealous that your state has had so many picture books written about it, lol!

• M is for Mitten: A Michigan Alphabet, by Annie Appleford, Poems by Kathy-jo Wargin, illustrated by Michael G. Monroe (January 2026 Booklist)
• The Legend of Leelanau,, by Kathy-Jo Wargin, illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen (September 2025 Booklist)

Recipes

At the beginning of the book Ann Mulligan mentions that the children used to help dig potatoes and have potato wars which inspired my recipe for today. I have very fond memories of fall campfires in my grandmother’s woods, burning brush and roasting potatoes fresh from her garden  in the ashes for dinner. So enjoy my favorite potatoes recipe: potatoes, with their skin on, wrapped into foil and buried under hot ashes. It takes a bit of time to cook but it’s the best! Add salt and butter! And it’s the perfect excuse to have a bonfire.

I am so thankful for the folks at Holy Heroes who reached out to me and asked if I would read one of their picture books. Of course that was a resounding yes! But especially because Holy Heroes has such a treasured place in my memories of my early homeschooling days. They were, at the time, the only Saints audio stories with Glory Stories, and my kiddos would listen to them on a loop! I could honestly say that Glory Stories are the soundtrack of my early home education days and that makes Holy Heroes very special and dear to me. They have, and continue, to help my family grow in our Faith and love of Christ. Thank you Holy Heroes!

PS: This is not a sponsored post, this is just truly my heart about a beautiful book and a wonderful company that has had a great impact on my and my family’s life. And it’s a way for me to thank everyone at Holy Heroes for everything that they do.

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