MANCHESTER, NH – “The Bike Bus: Adventures in the Queen City,” a new children’s book of adventure and imagination, written and illustrated by award-winning New Hampshire artist and author Peter Noonan, was published December 19, 2022. The 48-page picture book, published by NoonanArts and Manchester Moves, is inspired by the real-life New Hampshire children who dared to dream big and create a healthy and fun alternative to their daily school bus ride.
Catriona, a young school girl in the Queen City, finds herself back at school in September, doing all the math and reading and studying that school children would do. Dreaming of new escapades, she begins to long for the sweet days of the summer life, playing at the seashore, riding bikes with her friends in the city, and exploring new adventures in the countryside. And Catriona wonders: what would it be like if, instead of taking the bus to school each day, her friends could recreate some of that summer spirit and ride their bikes to school each morning?
But, the hard task is yet to come, as the children navigate the challenges of creating an entirely new way of getting themselves to school! In the process, they rediscover the joy of being together and having fun and getting their fair share of exercise (and ice cream!). Catriona and her friends uncover more about themselves, and soon find that their fair city has so much more to offer than they ever realized. The sights, the sounds, the people – what will they discover next?
“The Bike Bus: Adventures in the Queen City” is based on the true story of the Manchester Bike Bus, a collaborative effort by Manchester school children to forsake the bus and car and ride themselves to school on their bikes. The effort is a program of ManchesterMoves, a volunteer trail organization working to connect the city of Manchester to the rest of the State via trails and greenways while promoting healthy living and recreation.
The book is available at the Bookery on Elm St, Manchester and at the Manchester Moves shop online.
About the author
Peter Noonan is an award-winning illustrator, cartoonist and fine artist. His illustration and design branding has appeared in numerous publications throughout the country. Mr. Noonan’s fine art is featured in private and public collections nationwide, including the New Hampshire Statehouse Portraits Collection.
A NH native, Mr. Noonan studied at Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University, Boston and Paris. He lives in Manchester with his family.
