Picture Book Star of the Day: Author/Illustrator Lauren Castillo

Nana in the City, written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2014).  Castillo deservedly won a 2015 Caldecott Honor for this lovely, humanistic first person story about a boy who loves his Nana, but does not love the noisy city where she lives.  When Castillo first introduces the child, she gives him a look of constant worry and fear, although Nana looks comfortable, smiling all the while.  We see the urban milieu through his eyes though:  graffiti, a booming jack hammer, crowded subway.  After the grandma makes him a red cape designed to make him feel brave, he dons the new article of clothing--instant courage!  One of my favorite spreads shows him twirling his fancy new cape, looking braver by the second.  Now, as they walk together, the boy smiles, runs, and sees the beauty of a city park, people playing music, friendly dogs, and--in one cool drawing--a dancer break dancing.  Nana also teaches him how to help a person in need.  Castillo's brilliant watercolors capture the child's emotional journey from fear to delight, with one spread of a sparkling downtown bursting off the page.  It all leads to a poignant ending that promises more adventures with Nana.

The Troublemaker, written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2014).   Castillo had not one, but two great books in 2014.  In this hilarious charmer, she uses pen and ink with acetone transfer to tell the tale of a boy, bored out of his wits, who decides to play a game of pirates with stuffed raccoon toy Rascal.  However, this game involves stealing his sister's toy rabbit, blindfolding it, and sending in a boat off to sea.  Mom finds out and is not happy, asking him to hand the now soaking wet bunny to the angry sibling.  The presence of a REAL raccoon brings the story to another level--this furry creature steals the rabbit but when the boy says "Wasn't me", the other characters, strikingly presented in shadow in one spread, don't believe him.  The rascally raccoon starts stealing other objects too, causing distress.  Awww, what a moment of sadness there is when we see the boy missing his toys and the sister missing her bunny.  Will he ever find the thief?  Castillo gives readers a very funny ending.

Melvin and the Boy, written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2011).  Using acetone transfer with markers and watercolor, Castillo gives young readers a sweet look at pet ownership and respecting nature.  A boy asks his Mom for a dog, pointing at a hipster guy struggling with a large pooch on a leash, and she replies "Too big" (love the city landscape the author/illustrator creates).  On the next spread, we see the boy at a zoo and laugh at a monkey that has grabbed a man's hat.  When the child asks for a monkey, his dad responds "Too much work."  The kid sees pets all around him, and Castillo has fun with this idea--we giggle at a spread that shows children walking not just dogs and a cat, but a llama and a hamster as well.  The story's main drama kicks in when a turtle the boy meets at the park starts following him.  The creature seems just right, except things don't work as the boy had hoped after he adapts the turtle, now named Melvin.  And a gentle lesson about keeping wild animals in the wild follows, delivered with grace and in a child-friendly manner by Castillo.

Alfie Runs Away, written by Kenneth M. Cadow, illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2010).  When we first meet the boy in this funny story, he is already in a foul state.  Cadow's protagonist does not like a lot of things (baths, setting the table, eating potatoes) and now Mom has crossed the line:  she wants him to give up his favorite shoes that he has now outgrown.  Castillo does an excellent job capturing his sadness and then his rebellious nature--he is going to run away--WHILE WEARING THOSE SHOES!  Cadow's words and Castillo's illustrations work together beautifully here, giving us a situation that becomes more and more comical as it goes on with the mother helping him pack all the objects he will need for his journey.  She knows (and the reader knows) he won't get too far.  It all leads to a moving ending.

The Reader, written by Amy Hest, illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2012).  Castillo has shown in her work that she can masterfully design landscapes both urban and rural.  Here she helps create a nice cozy, wintry vibe when illustrating Hest's very sweet look at a boy, accompanied by his beloved pooch, who travels through the snow on a special mission.  What is he trying to accomplish?  He has a sled.  He has a suitcase filled with something special.  He is heading for a high hill.  The dog Castillo introduces might be one of the most adorable ever in a children's picture book--I love the spread with the canine jumping, playing in the snow, chasing a rabbit, carrying a stick.  You can feel the animal's happiness bursting off the page.  After the boy lugs that suitcase up the hill, we discover the reason for the journey, and it's a beaut.  Hest's charming words and Castillo's brilliant ink and watercolors give the reader moments of pure beauty and joy, and then an ending that soars with triumph.