Nadine’s Cork adventure

Montreal native Nadine Hughes Campbell's wanderlust brought her on an adventure which began in Canada and ultimately ended right here in Cork. Living in the Rebel County for the past four years, Hughes has channelled her love for the second city into her debut children's book, 'Noah's Cork Adventure.'

The story follows her son, Noah, as he explores the city with his parents and their adorable dog, Bodie. The beautifully illustrated book features many recognisable landmarks such as English Market, the Shakey Bridge and Fitzgerald's Park, all captured through the eyes of her young adventurer son.

“I came over to Ireland just over five years ago, I was in Dublin, working for a travel tech company Expedia, and it was just going to be for a year, as I had just purchased the house in Montreal. I came to get work experience and have a bit of fun, but that didn't really go to plan,” she said.

Love intervened and Nadine found herself falling for the charms of a Corkonian. “My husband John loves to remind me that I was so lucky to fall for a Cork man. He's right but I won't say that too loud,” she said.

“We now have two beautiful kids together and a dog, and it was all by luck. I feel truly blessed. And now I can really say that Cork is my home. Every time we travel, and we arrive back in Cork airport, I get a sense of relief,” she added.

Although Nadine always enjoyed writing, the real inspiration to put pen to paper came after the birth of Noah. Realising that her son had already visited five countries at such a tender age and wouldn't remember those early experiences, she saw writing as a means to document that precious time in his life.

“The main catalyst for the book was my son. I wanted to show everything through the eyes of a two year old. Exploring and just taking in the beauty of the world,” she says.

From start to finish, the book took two years, and she explains that the process was more challenging than she anticipated. “It's a picture book, but it took a lot of work with the editor and the illustrator. I underestimated that when I first started the project,” she says.

Nadine says that the book has received a fantastic reaction so far, and crucially, it has earned the stamp of approval from its main star, Noah. “Since we got the sample book, we have been reading it to him every night, and I have a video of him reading it to his sister. He definitely knows that this is his book.”

Nadine also hopes that the book will contribute to the diversity of children's literature currently available in Ireland.

“I think diversity is important, because it represents us, and Ireland is changing. It's becoming more of a diverse country and I do feel that there's not enough books that represent my kids,” she says.

“I see that there are more books popping up that feature different races and backgrounds, but I feel that there is a gap in the market that we could fill, and I think it's happening,” she added.

Aimed at children up to five years of age, ‘Noah’s Cork Adventure’ is available in Vibes and Scribes, Nano Nagle Place Design Shop, SomeDose cafe and nhughescampbell.ie.