A toy Indian in a toy canoe takes a journey of several hundred miles through the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, and Niagara Falls before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean.

"Copyright ©1941 by Holling Clancy Holling. Copyright © renewed 1969 by Holling Clancy Holling" - t.p. verso

How paddle-to-the sea came to be -- Long river reaching to the sea -- Paddle starts on his journey -- Brook and beaver pond -- Breakup of the river -- Paddle meets a sawmill -- Paddle meets a friend -- Largest lake in the world -- Paddle crosses two borders -- Life in northern marsh -- Paddle finds one end of Lake Superior -- Fish story -- Adrift again -- Shipwreck -- Dry dock -- By dog sled to the soo -- Non-stop down Lake Michigan -- Paddle returns to the north -- Forest fire -- Through Lake Huron -- Paddle reaches Lake Erie -- Paddle takes a great fall -- Lake Ontario -- at last -- Along the great river -- Rivers in the sea -- Paddle finds a new friend -- On a wharf.