Concert & Launch party for The Broadway Lullaby Project

Luckily I live in New York City, which made it very easy to attend the concert and launch party for the release of The Broadway Lullaby Project on May 7th. Over a dozen of the 26 lullabies were performed, accompanied by their illustrations on the large screen behind the performers at the Stephen Sondheim Theater. And Edie Falco was the evening's host! It was a great night of celebration, and fun to be able to rub elbows with some big deal folks in the Broadway biz. Here's a little photo recap of the evening:

Please visit the website, and consider purchasing a CD or a hardcover book (or ebook!) to help fight breast cancer!

Over The Moon

 I'm so pleased to say that I was able to contribute, in a small way,

to this great project that is raising funds to help fight breast cancer.  

Over The Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project

From the website:

Over the Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project is both a timeless benefit effort and a uniquely compelling, multimedia experience. The ambitious project — which incorporates a 2-CD, 26-song set; a lavishly-illustrated hardcover book of 17 songs from the album; a corresponding e-book encompassing the entire collection; and a documentary film and web series — gathers many of contemporary musical theatre’s greatest composers and vocalists, as well as illustrators, all of whom have donated their talent to deliver an emotionally affecting set of new lullabies, some written specifically for this project.

This collection puts a fresh spin on the classic lullaby form, creating a warmly expressive song cycle that will touch listeners of all ages, while raising funds for respected breast cancer charities, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Young Survival Coalition. The book features 17 songs from the album, with the lyrics illustrated by some of America’s most esteemed theatrical designers and children’s book illustrators, each offering a memorable visual interpretation of a song from the CD bound in the book. The e-book includes illustrations for all 26 songs.

My illustration accompanies the lullaby titled “I’ll Always Be There,” written by Jeff Blumenkrantz and sung by Victoria Clark.  Please check out the Over The Moon website to find out more about this wonderful project, and how you can help! 

XO~Lauren 

p.s. Kathy Lee and Hoda think it's a pretty great project, too!

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hip hip hooray!

I'm so HAPPY that Happy Like Soccer has been collecting some really great reviews! Thank you JLG, SLJ, Booklist, and Kirkus. Here are a few snippets:

A Junior Library Guild Selection 

Starred Review Publisher's Weekly:

"....unexpected emotional depth...a thought-provoking read aloud."

  School Library Journal:
"This tender story, written in lyrical text, perfectly blends the protagonist's joy at playing her favorite sport with the loneliness of being the new kid in unfamiliar territory. Castillo's muted colors reflect the narrator's thoughtful mood....This quiet gem is lovely for one-on-one sharing."

  Booklist:
"Castillo’s stylized, expressive watercolor illustrations effectively depict the bleakness of Sierra’s situation and her small triumph. Realistic without being overly sentimental, Boelts’ uplifting story realizes the impact of family, community, and even a little cheering in a child’s life..."

  Kirkus:

"Castillo's watercolor-and-ink illustrations of the city's landscapes feature towering buildings in an austere setting. In contrast, drawings of Sierra's home and her aunt's workplace depict warm, cozy scenes. Scenes with the dark-skinned, crinkly-haired auntie and niece emphasize the close, nurturing relationship. Action-filled paintings of the soccer games capture the fast-paced excitement of the game. Boelts' quiet tale celebrates the perseverance of a young girl as she attempts to achieve her goals."

 

HAPPY LIKE SOCCER release!!

 

 Today is the official release of my new book HAPPY LIKE SOCCER! There is a wonderful interview with the books' fabulous author, Maribeth Boelts, right here. Head on over, and enter to win a free copy!

Alfie goes to Korea

Alfie made it all the way to Korea! :) Many thanks to the wonderful people at Hansol Education for publishing a Korean edition of ALFIE RUNS AWAY. Seeing my work translated into other languages is never ever ever going to get old~

portfolio reviewin'

This Tuesday I spent the day down at Maryland Institute College of Art reviewing senior portfolios in the Illustration department. It was an honor to be invited back to my old college to talk about children's publishing with those students who hope to make a career out of writing and illustrating books. And oh boy was the talent level strong. I was truly impressed by many of the portfolios I reviewed over the course of the day. That fantastic Illustration faculty must be doing something right :) Big thanks to Allan Comport, and the rest of the MICA Illustration gang for inviting me down —I had a wonderful time!

an award for Spunky!

   

Spunky Tells All was named an Honor Book for the Maryland Blue Crab Young Readers Award!!! My home state has good taste :-) Thanks, Maryland! You can check out the full list of winners here if you like: http://www.mdlib.org/divisions/csd/blue.asp

City Cat sketchbook doodles

JLG mail

I received a surprise package from my publisher over the weekend — the official selection letter for Happy Like Soccer from the Junior Library Guild, along with a JLG lapel pin and certificate with gold seal! Gold sure does make me happy :) Thanks to the Junior Library Guild for this wonderful honor. Really excited for Happy Like Soccer to be a part of their list~

Irish Blessing

                                      May the road rise up to meet you.
                                      May the wind always be at your back.
                                      May the sun shine warm upon your face,
                                      and rains fall soft upon your fields.
                                      And until we meet again,
                                      May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

                                             —Old Irish Blessing