WEDNESDAYS in French!

I just found out that WHAT HAPPENS ON WEDNESDAYS has been picked up by a French publisher, which is pretty exciting! The new title is: Un mercredi à Brooklyn -- Translation: A Wednesday in Brooklyn... awesome :)

ICON

Paul and I attended this years ICON5 illustration conference over the weekend, and had a blast. Met a bunch of fun people, and reunited with some old friends and teachers. Many thanks to Whitney Sherman for getting me there!

BCP finito!

It's been a long time comin', but I've finally finished and turned in all final art for Big Cat Pepper, by Elizabeth Partridge -- Yaya! Taking a short break, and then on to the next p.b., Alfie Runs Away.

BCP progress

I am nearing the end on Big Cat Pepper final art! Above is another spread from the book, which is due out Spring '09.

A Star from SLJ!

Buffalo Music received a wonderful review in the June issue of School Library Journal!

FERN, Tracey E. Buffalo Music. illus. by Lauren Castillo. 32p. CIP. Clarion. 2008. RTE $16. ISBN 978-0-618-72341-6. LC 2007018435.

K-Gr 4—A story based on the actions of Mary Ann Goodnight, a pioneer who made great strides in saving the buffalo from extinction in the late 1800s. Molly's first-person narrative offers alliterative descriptions of the sounds made by animals native to her West Texas home, including the "huff-huff" of buffalo breath and the thunder of their pounding feet. Soon, this everyday music is replaced by the noise of gunfire, as hunters slaughter the creatures for profit. When a cowhand brings her two orphan calves, Molly nurtures them and many more, developing the first captive buffalo herd. She even sends several yearlings to Yellowstone National Park to help reestablish their herd. The story ends with Molly wistfully hoping that the buffalo and their music will return to the plains. Fern's lyrical text and Castillo's folk-style artwork beautifully capture the era and events. Done in warm, earthy hues, the mixed-media illustrations depict a rugged landscape of grays and browns speckled with touches of color-wildflowers or bright blooms on a tree. Outlined in thick black lines, the characters shimmer with vitality and Molly's affection for her fuzzy-coated orphans is tenderly depicted. Buffalo Music is perfectly suited to a young audience, clearly conveying the magnitude of the decimation and the importance of conservation efforts.—Lynne Mattern, Robert Seaman School, Jericho, NY

PIGS REVIEW

This, from the April issue of the MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW:

The Pig and Miss Prudence
Linda Stanek, author; Lauren Castillo, illustrator
Star Bright Books

Set at the turn of the nineteenth century into the twentieth century, The Pig and Miss Prudence is an enjoyable children's picturebook about a woman whose quarrel with a pig that nibbles on her flowers escalates into a grand escapade! Miss Prudence finds herself unexpectedly riding the pig through the busy city, crashing into flower carts and shipyard workers while chased by a rowdy crowd, through a hat shop, the museum, the church, and finally the mayor's office. The exuberant art style of Lauren Castillo adds high-energy to the hijinks, while the cheerful prose of author Linda Stanek immerses the reader in a world gone by. "Miss Prudence rose to her feet, adjusted the cameo at her throat, and placed her hands on her hips. 'I declare!' she said. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say that pigs run the city!'"
COPYRIGHT 2008 Midwest Book Review
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Bulletin Review of Buffalo Music

Here's a new review from the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. (sorry it is so small -- if you want to read without straining your eyes, just click on article to enlarge)

BUFFALO MUSIC release

Today my book BUFFALO MUSIC, written by Tracey Fern, hits shelves! <Here> is a nice little write-up that came out today in New West. I hope you'll look out for it the next time you're in your local bookstore!

My NEW print shop!

FINALLY, the Etsy shop I've been wanting to set up is alive!!!
I had been selling prints of my work through my website, but I like the idea of being part of a much larger community of artists -- there are some amazing (and affordable) handmade works on Etsy, from jewelry, to greeting cards, to paintings, screen prints, to clothing, bags and so on...great great great!
Here's the link to my shop.
It is still in the works, but I hope you'll check it out anyway :-)

Big Cat Pepper sample

While I am working away on final art for Big Cat Pepper, by Elizabeth Partridge, I wanted to share one of my pieces in progress. I decided to work differently for this book, compiling several handmade overlays digitally, rather than working completely traditionally with acetone transfers and paint/marker. It has been a challenge, but working in a brand new way feels refreshing, and certainly keeps it interesting...