Saturday, December 22, 2007

Happy Holidays


Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday with their loved ones. See you in 2008!
xo~Lauren

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Jacket illo for THAT'S PAPA'S WAY


Now I am officially 100% finished with THAT'S PAPA'S WAY (by Kate Banks)! Yesterday I turned in all revised interior art, and the jacket, which you can see a sneak peek of above. It was yet another great experience working with Frances Foster over at Farrar, Straus & Giroux. And of course Irene Metaxatos, my super designer :)
Already looking forward to my next project with them in 2008!

Friday, November 30, 2007

Parents choose Wednesdays


WHAT HAPPENS ON WEDNESDAYS was chosen as a recommended book of 2007 by the Parents' Choice Foundation. Thank you parents!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

SVA alumni show opening night

Last night was a good time at the SVA Visual Arts Gallery! The alumni book show was really nice, as well as the current MFA students' book show. If you didn't get to swing by, I definitely recommend checking it out! It is up through December 15th.

Here's my wallspace of work

Saturday, November 24, 2007

PIGS have arrived!



I received F&G's of THE PIG AND MISS PRUDENCE last week. Exciting! The book will be out after the holidays, February 1st, 2008. Look for it in your local bookstore!

Friday, November 23, 2007

Come out to the Theatre!


My very talented brother, Jonathan Castillo, will be appearing in his first ever Off-Broadway show JOHN & JEN! Come on out for a night of great entertainment:

Limited Engagement – 2 NIGHTS ONLY!
Thursday, November 29th at 7PM &
Saturday, December 1st at 7PM

The Laurie Beechman Theater at
The West Bank Café
407 West 42nd St. (9th Ave.)
www.westbankcafé.com

$10 Cover/$15 Food/Drink Minimum
For reservations call 212.695.6909

“A powerful family affair”
-Matthew Crowley, The Post-Star

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

"Then and Now" Alumni Show

My work will be included, along with 24 other SVA illustration alumni, in a book show titled "Then and Now". The show will include original art created while in school, alongside published books completed after graduation. For more info. click here. The show will be up from November 26 - December 15, 2007. Hope to see you at the opening reception: Tuesday, November 27, 6 - 8pm!

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

All finished!!!


I have just finished all the interior art (still jacket art to do) for my next book, THAT'S PAPA'S WAY written by Kate Banks! And it happens again - the tearing down of all art from my bedroom wall. An exciting, yet kind of empty, feeling. Now time to move on to the next project and fill up that wall again -- Break and mini-celebration required first!!!

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Brooklyn Museum Children's Book Fair


I will be part of this years Children's Book Fair at the Brooklyn Museum. And even more exciting, they are using a crop of one of my illustrations for their advertising (bookmark to your left) Yay! Come on out Saturday November 17th between 1 and 5pm, and get your signed copy of WHAT HAPPENS ON WEDNESDAYS. Also, if all goes smoothly, THE PIG AND MISS PRUDENCE will be available, and I'll be signing that too!

Friday, November 2, 2007

Rain, rain go away


Well it wasn't rain, but instead a smelly rusty pipe leak right over the toilet. So, this was me a few days ago while our bathroom was in shambles. Thankfully the problem was resolved, and ceiling repaired. Pheew, that was quite an entertaining experience! Hilarious drawing courtesy of Pauli.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Buffalo Arrival!


This week I received a wonderful surprise, when a bound and final Buffalo Music (written by Tracey Fern) arrived at my house a whole 6 MONTHS early!!! Buffalo Music will not hit shelves till next May, so this early printing took my editor and designer by complete surprise as well. The book looks wonderful, and Kerry Martin, my designer at Clarion, did a fantastic job!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Night at the Society

Last night was the opening of the Original Art show @ the Society of Illustrators, and a good time was had by all! Thanks so much to everyone who came out! Here are a few pictures from the evening:
Me and my piece from What Happens on Wednesdays

My good friend TaeEun Yoo receiving her very well deserved Founders Award!

And a final toast to the evening!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Hurrah! Another star for WEDNESDAYS!

A lovely review appeared in this weeks October 15th issue of Booklist, magazine of the American Library Association:

*What Happens on Wednesdays. Jenkins, Emily (author). Illustrated by Lauren Castillo. Farrar/Frances Foster (0-374-38303-0)
Finding the transcendent in the ordinary, this tender picture book imbues the activities of a typical weekday with the hallowed significance they assume in the life of a very young child. The frame of reference never widens beyond immediate, personal experience of the little girl who narrates. Landmarks of the child’s day, which spans pre-dawn moments with mommy to school, nap, swimming, and bedtime, include “the bakery where we got that chocolate croissant,” and “the daycare where I used to go when I was little.” Equally spot-on is her declaration that “today is not a kissing day,” a nod to the playful exceptions to routine that prevent rituals from becoming ruts. In an extremely promising debut, Castillo envelops the young narrator in warm tones, especially deep oranges and reds, and renders figures and settings in a naive style while picking out rich elements, such as a gorgeously patterned bedspread, in a manner consistent with a child’s intense but often selective memory for details. This will partner especially well with other picture books set in contemporary, urban communities (Mo Willems’ Knuffle Bunny, 2004,comes to mind), but the story’s central emotions about familial love and joyful, daily milestones will speak to children everywhere, particularly those who might need assurances that today’s new schedules can rapidly become tomorrow’s comfortable routines. — Jennifer Mattson

***Also, check out two other wonderful starred reviews from***
Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews!!!



Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Original Art Show


I am very excited to be a part of this year's Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators! (I will have one piece up from WHAT HAPPENS ON WEDNESDAYS.) This is a fantastic show of many wonderful children's book illustrators, and I feel so honored to be a part of it. It is up Oct. 17th - Nov. 21st. If you are in New York, come check it out!

PIGS release date delayed


I just heard word that the release date of my upcoming book THE PIG AND MISS PRUDENCE, written by Linda Stanek, was pushed back and will now be hitting shelves February 2008. Now I'm getting itchy!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

WEDNESDAYS in Newsday



Emily Jenkins and I received a really nice review in Newsday (Long Island NY newspaper) this past weekend for our picture book WHAT HAPPENS ON WEDNESDAYS. You can view it right here.

Thursday, October 4, 2007