Opening fun

The Original Art Show opening last week was a blast! The show is up at the Society Of Illustrators through November 24th. I hope if you're in the city you'll swing by—It's a great looking show! Here are a few photos from the evening:

The incredible Eric Carle accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award

Laurent Linn and Amy June Bates, this years' lovely Juror and Co-Juror

my ALFIE pieceFront: Paul Hoppe and Julia Denos;
Back: Brian Floca, me, Laurent Linn, Selina Alko, Sean Qualls, Chad Beckerman, Meghan McCarthy

30th Annual Original Art Show Opening

Tomorrow night is the 30th annual Original Art Show opening @ the Society of Illustrators! This show never disappoints, so hopefully if you're in the area you'll swing by and check it out! (click on the above image for details)
p.s. I was on the jury this year! Here's a link to the post about my experience back in August~
p.p.s. ALFIE is also represented in the show, if you want to see him up close and personal :)

This coming Saturday, October 16th, is the Illustrators Festival at the Brooklyn Public Library. It's one of the events connected to the DRAWN IN BROOKLYN exhibition. Over 30 illustrators will be present, doing readings, workshops, book signings, and there will even be some musical entertainment. I'll be signing three of my books: What Happens on Wednesdays, That's Papa's Way, and Alfie Runs Away. If you're in the area I hope you'll stop by. It should be a great time. Here are the details:

Family Day: Illustrators' Festival
Saturday, October 16th, 10:30am — 3pm

Plaza in front of the Central Library
10 Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn, NY 11238

Book Birthday!

Today is the release of my Holiday book, CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!! I couldn't be more excited about this project, and am so grateful for the opportunity to illustrate the true meaning of Christmas. A BIG thanks to my two editors and art director at Simon and Schuster for all the love and hard work that went in to making this special book.

Also, School Library Journal (October edition) has just given the book its second starred review! Here it is:

CHRISTMAS IS HERE: WORDS FROM THE KING JAMES BIBLE. illus. by Lauren Castillo. unpaged. S & S. Oct. 2010. RTE $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0822-7. LC 2009045979. PreS-Gr 3

The only text in this book is a few sentences from the King James Bible, and many of the ink and watercolor illustrations, in soothing tones of brown and gray with bold outlines, are wordless. They show a modern family—mom, dad, babe in arms, and dog-walking child—out for a stroll on a snowy evening, when they come across a small, outdoor Christmas pageant. As the child peers into the manger, readers are taken back in time to Bethlehem, with illustrations of sheep grazing over a dry Middle Eastern landscape as the shepherds learn of the birth of Jesus. As light from the star streams down over the holy family and shepherds leaning over the manger, the scene switches with a turn of the page back to the modern family singing carols in the snow in front of the manger. The theme—that the most basic meaning of Christmas has remained the same over the centuries—is conveyed with a warm and captivating simplicity that even the youngest child will understand. -Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library

If you want to get a head start on your Christmas shopping, here's one suggestion :)