The people behind Two Castles

Hi there, I'm Garrett

I'm the author of Two Castles — a book that introduces toddlers to the magical world of chess.

As a parent and chess enthusiast, I found myself in a unique spot. I wanted to share my love for chess with my daughter, Sofie, but let's be honest, explaining chess to a toddler isn't the easiest thing in the world. So, I made up a story that introduced her to the chess board in a fun and engaging way. And it worked like a charm! In just a handful of times telling her the story, my daughter was able to set up the board on her own and we were off to actually learning the moves! Happy to report that a year later, we were playing full games!

“Children's book author” wasn't something I planned on adding to my resume, but after I saw how the story helped her get interested in the game and set the board up so quickly, I wanted to share it with you — my fellow chess-loving parents — as a way to do the same with your little ones. I really hope you and your little one enjoy it!

About the author

Garrett Gillin wrote Two Castles as a way to help parents introduce the game of chess to their young children. As a father, he had used this story to teach his daughter the names and placement of the pieces on a chess board. Outside of authoring Two Castles, Garrett is an entrepreneur and educator based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Laura Lugo — illustrator

Laura illustrated every spread, giving each piece a face and a personality while keeping the silhouettes true to a real chess set. That accuracy matters: a child who learns the shapes from the book recognises them immediately on a board.

Why the book stops before the moves

Movement comes third. Names come first, then placement. It's better pedagogy for this age group and it's the honest limit of what a four-minute read-aloud can do well.

More on that approach in the Learn section, and the free printables cover the same ground away from the page.