‘Inclusion and love will always win’: TikTok rallies around blind author whose inclusive children’s book was banned
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In a victory against the conservative book-banning movement, TikTok came to the rescue after author Paul Castle’s children’s book was targeted by hate.
Castle is a legally blind author and illustrator who lost 95% of his eyesight due to Retinitis Pigmentosa. However, he didn’t let his eye diagnosis stop him from pursuing a career in the visual arts. On social media, he shared how he uses “accessibility tools,” such as a tablet, to illustrate his books. Castle knows that his condition is progressive, and he won’t always be able to illustrate. Hence, he has made the most of the time he has to pursue his dream of being an author and illustrator. Unfortunately, he has dealt with book banners desperately trying to silence him.
Castle is most well-known for his Pengrooms Collection, which consists of two children’s books, Pringle & Finn and The Secret Ingredient. Both are adorably illustrated children’s stories following penguins Pringle and Finn, two big-hearted male penguins who enjoy making wedding cakes for their friends. The books depict a variety of family structures and types of love in an innocent, child-friendly way to encourage inclusion, love, and acceptance. While Castle quickly ran into obstacles due to conservative efforts to ban every inclusive and diverse book, TikTok quickly rallied around him.