With yet another set of school holidays on our doorstep (already?) you might be all out of ideas for keeping the kids busy. Happy Day Out in Toowoomba will rescue you!
It’s a bright and fun book all about exploring child friendly locations in Toowoomba.
By local Megan Carige, it’s written through the eyes of her two boys Finn and Henry. Megan says she was inspired to write about their adventures in Toowoomba after enjoying seeing her boys love the same things she did as a kid.
“I spent my earlier childhood living in Fiji, before my family moved to Toowoomba where I finished my primary school and high school,” she says. “When I graduated from high school, I left Toowoomba to go to uni and worked in Brisbane and London for most of the time.
“For the past 10 years, I have been working in Brisbane for an international shipping company as their HR Manager. The position was very, very intense and I needed to travel to China and Singapore on a regular basis. It all became too much, especially after I had my two boys, who are now four and seven.
“So, I took the plunge and resigned! Leaving Brisbane (and the traffic) behind and moving back to Toowoomba. It was lovely coming back and seeing my children having a similar childhood to mine – experiencing all the same things I did growing up in Toowoomba. This gave me the inspiration to write the book and my two boys, Finn and Henry are the characters in the book.”
Megan says you’ll see some of our favourite places feature in the story.
“I love taking my boys to the many beautiful parks in Toowoomba: Queens Park, Laurel Bank Park and Picnic Point are just a few parks that we regularly go to. The Darling Downs Zoo is fantastic for kids and visiting Spring Bluff is a must! I love having coffee at the Springs Garden World and the play area is very good for kids.
“Toowoomba is a lovely place to raise children, it still has a little country town atmosphere, yet all the things that city living has to offer.”
Megan and her dog Maddie
It was a 12-month process, from starting with the idea to writing, illustration and then the editing, design and publishing. And it’s a process she’s gone through all over again with her second book due out in November this year. It’ll be a similar concept, but this time Finn and Henry will be exploring somewhere new.
As it encourages kids to be interested in the culture and history of Toowoomba Happy Day Out is also great for the classroom and kindys. Megan also does storytime for many childcares and schools around town and can supply copies of the book for sale for fundraisers and fetes.
Play along with Finn and Henry this school holidays and pick up your copy direct from happydayout.com.au or from Amazon, Book Depository, or Angus & Robertson Bookworld. You can also find it at these local locations:
- The Book Tree, Ruthven Street
- Choice Chemist, Wellcamp Airport, Toowoomba
- City Library, Toowoomba
- Darling Downs Zoo, Gift Shop, Pilton
- Little Miracles Maternity Wear, Toowoomba
- Picnic Point Café, Toowoomba
- The Springs Garden World, Gift Shop, Toowoomba
- Visitor Information Centre, James Street, Toowoomba.
