‘Goodnight Surf City’ shows love for author’s hometown, family
Toni Haas grew up near the San Bernardino Mountains.
As a fifth-generation Southern Californian, heading south to Huntington Beach in the summer to visit with relatives was a welcome treat.
“I fell in love with it,” she said. “Growing up in the mountains, you’re waiting for the snow to melt so you can ride your bike. Out here, you can do it anytime you want.”
Once she became an adult, Haas moved to Surf City in the late 1980s. Now she enjoys watching her five grandchildren run on the Huntington Beach Pier during visits to “Grandma T,” as they call her.
Haas’ first children’s book, “Goodnight Surf City,” was written mainly for those youngsters, four of whom live in New Zealand and one in Orange. Each grandchild is pictured among the pages, and their names are also hidden throughout the book.
But Haas has also enjoyed seeing the general public’s reaction since the book was released in January.
“It’s just a really fun read, and it incorporates a lot of what Huntington Beach has to offer,” said Haas, 56. “I hope it inspires some of the children that read it and see it to go make their own family memories and find their own favorite spots in Huntington Beach, like I did with my family.”
Each page of the book, which features rhyming sentences wishing goodnight to different Huntington Beach favorite locales, was also illustrated by Haas. Examples include the dog beach, Pacific City, Main Street, Central Park featuring Lake Huntington and the skate park.
Haas said she’s planning to incorporate a scavenger hunt, where families can go to visit company names that she will release that tie to the locations in the book. Each participating business will display a “Goodnight Surf City” logo to look for.
She hopes spending time in Huntington Beach sparks something, like it did in her.
“I’ve been watching the U.S. Open and other surf contests, watching the volleyball players, the hustle and bustle of the boardwalk and taking in the views since I was a little one,” she said. “Now I love to take fun walks and enjoy all of the beautiful views, all while spending quality time with my family. It’s fun to watch the grandkids run down the pier, taking it all in like I did at their age. It’s so magical. Then topping it off with a visit to the Kite Connection.”
Haas said she will do a reading and signing of the book at Pacific City on Saturday, March 2, which is National Read Across America Day (Dr. Suess Day).
As for “Goodnight Surf City,” Haas hasn’t really worried about how many copies she’s sold, since she has a day job as a sales and contracts administrator in the construction industry. Still, she’s already planning a sequel.
“I’ve been getting so many inquiries on this that I want to give it some attention before I just dive into another book,” she said. “But I’ve already started the other one. It’s a process, for sure.
“It’s been really fun. It’s like a little trickle of star magic drops down when I get a little review. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”
“Goodnight Surf City” is available on Amazon and other online booksellers, as well as select locations in Huntington Beach.
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