The Pengrooms - Paul Castle - ★★★★.¼

-
AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Paul Castle
SERIES: Pringle & Finn, #1
GENRE: Children's Picture Book.
PUBLICATION DATE: January 1, 2023
RATING: 4.25 stars.


In a Nutshell: A cute story about a pair of penguins who make a wonderful team. Cute story, cutest illustrations. Written and illustrated by a legally blind Canadian man. Enjoyed the sweet and wholesome vibes of this book with its understated message. Much recommended.


Plot Preview:
Pringle and Finn make a great team and they love doing things together, even if they aren’t so great at them. They are the best at baking wedding cakes and love to deliver customised cakes to their various animals friends around the forest on their wedding day. But then comes a big day, and a special wedding cake is involved.


This book is written and illustrated by Paul Castle, whom some of you might be aware of. Paul, along with his husband Matthew, runs a successful YouTube and Tiktok channel, where they document their life with each other, Paul’s struggle with his blindness, and his amazing guide dog Maple. Yes, the WRITER and ILLUSTRATOR of this book is legally blind. Paul has lost over 95% of his vision to the untreatable eye disease named Retinitis Pigmentosa and uses adaptive tools to create his art. I saw a video of his art-making on YouTube and was simply blown away by his talent and determination. If for nothing else, the stunning artwork, with the adorable animals and the vibrant colours, is a strong reason to pick up the book.

The story also is quite good, though somewhat simple. I love how Pringle and Finn make wedding cakes without discrimination. Their clients are animals entering in same-sex marriages. What I love best about this depiction is that there is no heavy-handed message-thumping, no justification or judgement. The wedding is treated just as a regular wedding, which makes the story feel accepting and loving.

My favourite scene was the final wedding scene – the true icing on this cake. It was so beautiful! There’s a lovely story behind the title of this book, which is connected to this ending. (You can find the story HERE.) I love the word play! The title of the book has been changed to ‘Pringle & Finn’ in the newer editions, which I find cute but don’t like as much.

Each page doesn’t have more than 1-2 sentences, which makes this an easy option for young readers. The vocabulary is also on the easier side, with good use of repetition.

Overall I mostly loved this simple and heartwarming story of the cutest penguins ever. It might not have impressed me with the flourish-free text, but all the other factors were almost perfect.

My library didn’t have a copy of this, so I accessed a readaloud narrated by the author himself on his YouTube channel, with some soul-soothing violin music in the background played by his violinist husband Matthew. If you want a genuine glimpse of the story, you can definitely use this option. But if you want to support an indie, disabled author in a happy gay marriage, please do buy a copy for the little ones in your life to help them learn that what is most important in a relationship is being right for each other.

Definitely recommended. This is a great option for home and school readalouds, especially for those who love penguins. (Who doesn’t love penguins!???!) Grab this and bask in its radiant rainbow hues!

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

City of Jackals - Aman J. Bedi - ★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Aman J. Bedi SERIES: Ghosts of Ethuran, #2 GENRE: Epic Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: March 13, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A dark fantasy set in a fictional South-Asian setting. The second book of the Ghosts of Ethuran series, and needs to be read in series order. Continues the story well, revealing more shades to the protagonist and the world. Excellent action sequences. The gore and the cuss words were still not to my liking, but I enjoyed the rest, maybe even more than the first book as I was better prepared for the graphic content. This was a “paisa vasool” experience. Plot Preview: (Contains mild spoilers from the first book.) After the victory against the Kraelish, Kavi is now the unofficial leader of the Taemu, who are finally getting a bit more respect in Raayan. But when a hooligan forcibly takes control of the Imperial Rickshaw Company and forces Kavi to work with his gang as an enforcer, threatening her with dire consequences against the Taemu if she refuses or...
Read More»

Michael Without Apology - Catherine Ryan Hyde - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Catherine Ryan Hyde GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 6, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fiction about a young man who finally learns the value of self-acceptance. Excellent characters, storyline, writing, and life lessons. Drags a little in the final few chapters, but overall, a beautiful and meaningful read. Much recommended. Plot Preview: When Michael was seven, he had a near-fatal accident that left him with severe physical scars and eventually led to foster care. Now nineteen, Michael has learnt to keep his scars hidden. On signing up for film class, he is taken aback on seeing that his professor Robert Dunning is also disfigured, but unlike Michael, he doesn’t hide his scars. Encouraged by Dunning, Michael plans to make a documentary about body image issues in scarred people. When he places an ad seeking potential interviewees, he learns that too many people in society are unhappy with their bodies. With their stories and also his ...
Read More»

If The Train Arrives - Heather Fellin Tierney - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Heather Fellin Tierney GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: August 26, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical literary fiction focussed on three ordinary people and the way their paths cross with each other. Excellently sketched characters, a complex and thought-provoking plot, a realistic ending. Great use of the 1970s small-town Wisconsin setting. An amazing debut! Much recommended to lit fic lovers. Plot Preview: 1970. Every morning, one train leaves from Minneapolis to Chicago via Milwaukee. One small stop it makes is at the tiny station of Oconomowoc in Wisconsin. Lincoln is a forty-year-old ticket agent at the Oconomowoc train station. Though it has been many years since his wife left him, he still struggles to move beyond. Vera is a teenager determined to look for someone from her past. She is gearing up for her first ever train journey, boarding at Oconomowoc and going to Chicago. Violet, a single woman in her fifties, has only one major re...
Read More»

The Quiet Librarian - Allen Eskens - ★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Allen Eskens GENRE: Contemporary Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: February 18, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A dual-timeline mystery. Interesting lead character, good story, great historical content. Quite gruesome in the war-related bits. A tad too convenient at times, and the romance subplot track annoyed me (as expected). But on the whole, a worthwhile read. Plot Preview: Minnesota. Hana is a reserved forty-seven-year old librarian who keeps her personal life guarded. When a detective comes to her with the news that her best friend Amina has been murdered, Hana knows that her past has finally caught up with her. But as no one else knows who she was or what she did, Hana has to rely on her instincts and her old training to protect herself and also Amina’s eight-year-old grandson who has been left in Hana’s care. The story comes to us in two timelines, both written in third person. One is the contemporary track from Hana’s point of view. The other is from 1995, set during the ...
Read More»

Inheritance: A Visual Poem - Elizabeth Acevedo - ★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Acevedo ILLUSTRATOR: Andrea Pippins GENRE: Illustrated Spoken Word Poem PUBLICATION DATE: May 3, 2022 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: An illustrated version of the author's famous spoken-word poem. Didn't get much of the poetic merit (no surprises there, given my lack of fondness for poetry), but liked the powerful message and the vibrant illustrations. Might work differently for readers more impacted by this format of poetry. I have wild hair. Though thinner now with age and hormonal upheavals, my hair still looks like I forgot to brush it after I woke up. Over the years, many friends have asked me to straighten my hair. They claim it's easier to manage. No one asks me whether I'm bothered by my messy waves or if I prefer straight hair to curls. They just assume that their straight hair IS better. ( Fact: I think straight hair is boring. I love curly hair as it has a personality of its own! I am very jealous of women who have ringlet curls .) Isn'...
Read More»