Opening reception success

Last Wednesday evening was the opening reception of the fabulous DRAWN IN BROOKLYN exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library, and it was an awesome turnout! Plenty of editors, art directors, designers, illustrators, friends and families all packed the auditorium of the BPL Central Branch Library. I love that the Children's Book publishing world feels like family. Warm and supportive of one another. Events like this remind me just how blessed I am to be part of such a wonderful community... I love my job :)

Here's a few photos from the night:

The Group! press photo, courtesy of Al PereiraIn the Grand Lobby~
My two "process" cases in the Youth Wing~Awesome illustrators + friends (Paul Hoppe, Selina Alko, Sean Qualls)

Thanks so much to everyone who was able to make it out. The show is up through January, so if you haven't had a chance to view it yet there's still plenty of time!

(Also, the show has been receiving some very nice coverage in the press. Here's an article from Time Out NY Kids. And another from Capital New York.)

"From The Mixed-Up Files" interview

An interview I recently did with the lovely Jennifer Bertman, over at her blog From The Mixed-Up Files, is now up! If you'd like, swing on over for a peek in to my studio. And don't forget to check out all the other awesome author/illustrator interviews she's conducted! Thank you very much for having me, Jennifer!

DRAWN IN BROOKLYN

My work is included in the upcoming exhibition, DRAWN IN BROOKLYN, displayed at the Brooklyn Public Library's Central branch. The show runs from September 21, 2010 — January 23, 2011. (click on the above flyer to view details)

Here's the official description of the show:

'This exhibition of children's book illustrations, curated by John
Bemelmans Marciano, features the work of 34 illustrators who live and work
in Brooklyn, from the most exciting newcomers in publishing to the legends
of the business. View more than 100 pieces of art from books such as Duck
for President, The Curious Garden, Moonpowder and Madeline and the Cats of
Rome. Also, see the work of Caldecott Medal and Coretta Scott Kind Award
winners Leo and Diane Dillon, Brian Selznick, Paul O. Zelinsky, Bryan
Collier, Pat Cummings and Brian Pinkney. Original picture book art is
displayed in the Grand Lobby. In the Youth Wing, find sketches, models,
tools and more that reveal the processes behind the works.'

I will be at the Opening Reception and the Illustrators' Festival.
Hope to see you at one or both of these fun events!

Opening Reception
Wednesday, September 22nd, 6 — 8pm
Dweck Center Lobby
Central Library
10 Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn, NY 11238

Family Day: Illustrators' Festival
(features readings, workshops, book signings and music)
Saturday, October 16th, 10:30am — 3pm

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

"Twenty Questions" Interview~

UK artist and blogger, Jane Heinrichs, was kind enough to have me over this morning for an interview on her blog. Drop by and take a look if you like! Thank you for having me, Jane!

The first CHRISTMAS review is in

And it's a star!!! I am so happy. This being the first book I've worked on where I am fully responsible for the outcome, I have to admit I've been pretty nervous about what the critics will have to say... But, so far so good! Thank you Kirkus for a wonderful write-up of CHRISTMAS IS HERE, which appears in their September 1st issue:

CHRISTMAS IS HERE
Illustrated by Lauren Castillo; Adapted from The King James Bible
(SSBFYR; ISBN: 9781442408227; October 2010; Fall catalog page 24)

“This touching interpretation of the Christmas story wordlessly follows a modern-day family as they journey through a snowy town in the evening to view a live Nativity scene. The family includes a baby in a white snowsuit, who provides a subtle symbolic connection to the baby in the manger in both the re-created scene and the Nativity story that follows. As an older child peeks in at the baby in the manger, the setting shifts in time and place to Bethlehem of long ago, accompanied by the traditional words from the King James Bible, before returning to the contemporary setting. Gorgeous watercolor illustrations in a subdued palette of twilight grays set off the falling snowflakes in the modern scenes, while the biblical scenes are brilliantly lit by starlight. Castillo's smudgy style infuses all with wonder.”

ALFIE Blog Reviews

Little Alfie has been receiving some pretty nice reviews from some pretty kind bloggers out there. I wanted to share a handful of them, and thank each and every one of these blogs for taking the time to write about ALFIE:

~Kiss The Book

~Carol's Corner

~Kids Kit

~K Bookwoman

~Picture Book of the Day

~Books For Kids Blog

~University of Delaware, Education Resource Center

~Lisa, Lisa and the Book Jam (where you can listen to a discussion with author of ALFIE, Kenneth Cadow!)

Thank you all very much! (I know Alfie just loves it when people say nice things about him)

~Jurying the 30th Annual Society of Illustrators Original Art Show~

Piles and piles of books to judge...554 to be exact! (photo courtesy of Chad Beckerman)

Monday was a very big day for me: I had the incredible honor of serving on the jury of the 30th Annual Society of Illustrators Original Art Show. About a month ago Laurent Linn, Chair of this years show, called me up to ask if I would be an alternate juror in the event that one of the others could not make it. I was honored to be asked, but doubted the fact that I'd actually be called in... Well, much to my surprise, I got the "you're in!" phone call on Sunday night. Wow. What a wonderful experience it was, and I am extremely thankful to both Laurent Linn (Chair) and Amy June Bates (Co-Chair) for having me on board! One of my fellow co-jurors, Chad Beckerman, did a great job of documenting the day over at his blog, if you'd like to see and hear a little bit about how it all went down (thanks for photographing, Chad!). This is going to be an awesome show--make sure to mark your calendars for the opening reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, October 21st!

What's here?

Christmas Is Here!!!

The first bound copies of the book arrived on my doorstep yesterday. Very exciting! But since it is still summer, I will refrain from showing wintery images...
I'll wait till AFTER Labor Day to share a few interiors :)

Literacyhead!

My lovely and talented friend Shadra Strickland has an entire issue dedicated to her in the wonderful publication, Literacyhead! Literacyhead is a weekly publication designed to use the visual arts to teach literacy. And, in preparation for this weeks issue, the editors of Literacyhead, Jan Burkins and Roberta Gardner, conducted an interview with Shadra in her Atlanta GA studio. Shadra was so sweet to mention her fellow SVA MFA friends (Taeeun Yoo, Jonathan Bean, Paul Hoppe, and myself) which then inspired the editors to surprise Shadra by including all of us in the issue--some of our art and our books. Here's a nice article in the issue, by editor Jan Burkins, titled The Art of Living. I encourage you all to browse through this weeks issue of Literacyhead ~~ It's a great one. Congratulations, Shadra!

Happy Like Soccer

I started working on a new picture book this summer, written by Maribeth Boelts, currently titled Happy Like Soccer. It's a great story, and I've been having a fun time drawing the world of main character, Sierra. It's been perfect timing, really. I got to watch many games of the World Cup WHILE drawing roughs for the book. What awesome inspiration!
And now I'm beginning the final art stage, which is always both exciting and nerve-racking. I think, no matter how many books I will have completed, there will always be initial moments of uncertainty...Them's the breaks :)
BUT, I'm looking forward to these next couple months of art-making. Nothing compares to creating a picture book...It's the greatest job in the world (if I do say so myself)!