Lost pet book finds low vision readers
Caroline Ashdown, who is legally blind, says her inaugural tale was targeted at readers who also experience visual impairments. Photo: Gordon Preece.
“You can still achieve your dreams” was the motivation for a legally blind Nelson woman to put pen to paper for her inaugural tale.
Caroline Ashdown’s book, titled ‘Norman Guinea Pig and his Big Adventure’, is based on a true story from her Foxhill farm childhood.
It’s bright and appealing illustrations from Nelson-based Polly Rabbits aim to open the eyes of readers who also experience visual impairments.
The 65-year-old pensioner says her idea to become an author and support readers with her condition came about in the first Covid-19 lockdown and first hit the local and online bookshelves in October.
“I must’ve been bored because I decided to write a story … it’s a true story, it’s about a guinea pig I had when I was a child, and he went missing for three months,” she says.
“Just because you have any sort of disability, you can still do whatever you like, nothing holds you back if you’ve got the drive.”
Caroline says the protagonists in her book, Polly and Wills, represent her and her brother, and the guinea pig is dedicated to her uncle Norman.
She says feedback, including from visually-impaired readers, since the book launch had been “wonderful”.
“I’ve had a lot of comments about how wonderful the book is … and that the illustrations look truly fantastic,” she says.
“I have donated some to the public Christmas trees for the children and I donated one to the children’s ward too [at Nelson Hospital].
“I have got four more ideas in my head [to support the visually-impaired].”
Caroline says she would also work on an audio version.