Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a very relaxing and memorable holiday~

I have to share this adorable video of my friend's 4 year old daughter, Rachel, reading CHRISTMAS IS HERE. Way to go, Rachel! I think I'll hire you for my future reading events :)



Here's to a new year filled with much joy! xoxo~Lauren

Merry Christmas to all!

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2: 8-14 KJV)

Christmas Is (almost) Here!

I can't believe Christmas is only about a week away. Can you??

It's funny, I've been in Christmas mode practically all of 2010:
In January and February I created the final art for CHRISTMAS IS HERE. Looked at the printer proofs in March. Saw the F&G's (folded and gathered) in June, and a final bound copy in August! Then began a Fall season full of events promoting the book. I was also fortunate enough to be part of a wonderful fundraiser that put translated copies of CHRISTMAS IS HERE in to the hands of 300 sweet, underprivileged Romanian children . . . Pheeew! Now that's a lot of Christmas.
What will I do next year?

Here's a little trailer that I put together for the book. Hope it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy :)



Happy Christmas everyone!
Love & Blessings,
Lauren

Alfie got a gold seal!

ALFIE is pretty excited. He's received a 2010 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award! ("Given to outstanding new products that enhance the lives of children.")

Here's what the committee had to say:
"A little gem of a story about a boy who wants to keep his old shoes. When his mother does not give in, Alfie announces he is going to run away. In one loving scene after another his mother makes sure that he will have everything he needs--water, a flashlight, batteries, peanut butter and crackers, his pillow and bear. Finally Alfie takes off. Though the ending is predictable, it is also reassuring. The drawings capture the youthful vitality of this spirited boy and the moments of bitter sweetness that make it both meaningful and memorable. "

Thank you for noticing ALFIE, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio!!

Barnes & Noble book signing!

This [Black] Friday, Nov. 26th @ 2pm, I am going to be signing CHRISTMAS IS HERE at Barnes & Noble in my home town of Bel Air, Md. If you live in the area, I hope you'll come by and say hello. I'm pretty excited—it's shaping up to be a reunion of sorts!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Books of Wonder

Tomorrow is November Picture Book Bonanza @ Books of Wonder! I'll be there presenting and signing CHRISTMAS IS HERE, along with a handful of other exciting authors and illustrators, from 1-3 pm. Would love to see you there!

A couple more nice reviews!

Blogger and fellow illustrator Sarah Jane did a very nice write-up of CHRISTMAS IS HERE on her website this week. If you'd like to check it out, head on over to her lovely site. I also encourage you to spend some time looking at her wonderful work. Thanks so much for the post, Sarah! (the above photo is of Sarah's son. Adorable!)


Also this week, Shelf Awareness reviewed Christmas Is Here on their list of 2010 favorite holiday titles. A big thank you to Shelf Awareness! Here's what they had to say:

Christmas Is Here by Lauren Castillo
(S&S, $12.99, 9781442408227/1442408227, 32 pp., ages 4-8, October 2010)

This nearly wordless picture book (with just a few lines from the King James Bible) brilliantly connects a present-day child's discovery of a Christmas pageant in progress with the very first Christmas under a star in Bethlehem. Through her ink and watercolor illustrations, Castillo creates a glow that seems to emanate from the child in the manger. Her subtle connection between the modern baby dressed in white and the long-ago baby wrapped in swaddling clothes speaks to the way a new life feels miraculous to every family.

"Holiday High Notes"

Thank you Horn Book for including CHRISTMAS IS HERE on your annual list of recommended holiday books! Here's the very nice review from their Nov/Dec magazine issue:

Christmas Is Here words from the King James Bible; illus. by Lauren Castillo 10/10 978-1-4424-0822-7 $12.99 Over three wordless spreads, a young child walks with his family through their neighborhood to take in a live Nativity scene. The third spread brings us up close to view the boy looking thoughtfully into the manger at a sleeping Christ child. As the biblical story begins (“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field”), readers are transported to the setting of the first Christmas. The seemingly incongruous pairing — formal Bible verses and Castillo’s child-friendly illustrations — works beautifully, with subdued colors and unfussy compositions making the archaic text more accessible. As the Nativity story comes to an end, the pictures gently carry readers to the present, but the spirit of that long-ago miracle remains in the air, evoking the real meaning of Christmas. —KITTY FLYNN

Weekend FULL of fun events!

So! This Saturday and Sunday are filled with fun book and art-related events that I'll be a part of: One in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan, and one in Baltimore! Below are the flyers for all three events (just click on each for all the details). Hope to see you at at least one of the following!

*Saturday: THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM CHILDREN'S BOOK FAIR:

*Saturday: BOOKS FOR ROMANIA--a holiday fundraiser party! (please please please come to this if you can!)

*Sunday: ILLUSTRATION NEXT; MICA alumni gallery exhibition:

I'm so excited!

CHRISTMAS IS HERE has received its 3rd starred review! Can't quite believe it...Thank you Publishers Weekly!

CHRISTMAS IS HERE

Adapted from the King James Bible and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (SSBFYR;9781442408227)

Snowflakes fall on a young family watching a live nativity scene in their city neighborhood. As the boy peers into the manger, the story shifts to an ancient field underneath gentle moonglow and a brilliant star's guiding light on the holy night observed by shepherds. By literally bookending the traditional account of Jesus' birth (with text from the King James Bible) with cheery modern imagery, sans commercial trappings, Castillo underscores the connection between past and present. Sketched in thick, black line, her kind-looking figures, human and animal, convey a wealth of emotion. Ages 3–7. (Oct.)