Lauren Castillo
Author of Nana in the City
About the Author
Series
Works by Lauren Castillo
Associated Works
The Creativity Project: An Awesometastic Story Collection (2018) — Contributor — 114 copies, 3 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Gender
- female
- Agent
- Paul Rodeen
- Short biography
- [from author's website]
Lauren studied illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art and received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the author and illustrator of the 2015 Caldecott Honor winning book, Nana in the City, and new chapter book series, Our Friend Hedgehog. Lauren has also illustrated several critically acclaimed picture books, including Kirkus Prize finalist Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera, Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley, and Yard Sale by Eve Bunting. She currently draws and dreams in Harrisburg, PA.
Members
Reviews
A young boy loves his Nana but dislikes her urban home in this beautiful and endearing picture-book from author/artist Lauren Castillo. He finds the city busy and loud, and thinks that it is full of scary things. His Nana assures him that the city is wonderful: bustling and booming, and full of wonderful things, and on his visit to her, she shows him just what she means.
Awarded a Caldecott Honor in 2015, Nana in the City is a heartwarming tale that invites the young reader/listener to show more consider different perspectives, when pondering a given issue. The young boy-narrator comes to visit his Nana with a certain mindset, and everything he sees and hears, from the graffiti on the walls to the roar of the subway, seems to confirm his view that the city is no place for a Nana to live. But his wise grandmother, after outfitting him with a red cape to give him courage, shows him how the very things that cause him to dislike the city, also make it wonderful. She shows him a busy Central Park, she lets him listen to street musicians - in short, she shows him that the city is indeed a place for a Nana to live, and for him to visit. The watercolor artwork here is perfectly in tune with the story, using darker, more overwhelming shades - charcoal gray in the subway, for instance - when the boy is frightened; more open, white backgrounds - as when he is trying on the red cape - when he feels more secure; and warmer, brighter tones - the yellow of the leaves in the park - when he is discovering a new perspective. Castillo blends text and image here perfectly, making the marriage of the two seem effortless and natural. I enjoyed the story, thought the artwork was lovely, and appreciated the New York setting. In sum: Nana In the City is a picture-book that I highly recommend! show less
Awarded a Caldecott Honor in 2015, Nana in the City is a heartwarming tale that invites the young reader/listener to show more consider different perspectives, when pondering a given issue. The young boy-narrator comes to visit his Nana with a certain mindset, and everything he sees and hears, from the graffiti on the walls to the roar of the subway, seems to confirm his view that the city is no place for a Nana to live. But his wise grandmother, after outfitting him with a red cape to give him courage, shows him how the very things that cause him to dislike the city, also make it wonderful. She shows him a busy Central Park, she lets him listen to street musicians - in short, she shows him that the city is indeed a place for a Nana to live, and for him to visit. The watercolor artwork here is perfectly in tune with the story, using darker, more overwhelming shades - charcoal gray in the subway, for instance - when the boy is frightened; more open, white backgrounds - as when he is trying on the red cape - when he feels more secure; and warmer, brighter tones - the yellow of the leaves in the park - when he is discovering a new perspective. Castillo blends text and image here perfectly, making the marriage of the two seem effortless and natural. I enjoyed the story, thought the artwork was lovely, and appreciated the New York setting. In sum: Nana In the City is a picture-book that I highly recommend! show less
As winter approaches, Hedgehog can't wait for the first snowfall! That is, until she learns that hedgehogs are supposed to hibernate and miss all of winter by sleeping through it. Meanwhile, Beaver and the little girl named Annika Mae are working on creating a Friend Fort for all the forest folks to gather in together.
This is a very sweet story, with a quaintness to it in both the language and the gentle watercolor illustrations. It feels like the type of book that younger readers advancing show more from Frog and Toad early readers onto chapter books would enjoy, or for those readers who love the charm of Winnie the Pooh and other friends from the 100 Acre Wood. The language is mostly straightforward and simple, but it is interspersed with some lesser known words such as "thrice," and Mole has a habit of addressing the crew as "friends" in various languages, including Italian, Japanese, and Zulu.
There are a couple of different plotlines going on here, but I don't think it is at all too complicated for young readers to follow. The overall message is about chosen family being as important (or more important) than biological family. For instance, consider when Hedgehog finally meets other hedgehogs like her and learns they don't enjoy playing in the snow: "These hedgehogs might be made of the same spines and snouts, but their hearts spoke different languages." and the final words of the book as the various animals and Annika Mae gather in the Friend Fort: "They might look different on the outside, but in their hearts, they were family." It is all done with a gentle touch, not overly didactic or heavy-handed, and without casting aspersions on the other hedgehogs -- just acknowledging that they have different interests than Hedgehog.
This book is the second in a series, but it seems to generally stand on its own. I guess there might be a backstory as to how these unlikely band of forest animals and little girl became friends in the first place, but it doesn't really seem to matter for this tale. Embarrassingly enough, it did take me a short chapter or two to realize that Mutty is indeed a plush toy and not a real dog.
As the book is primarily full of animal characters, there isn't much to speak of in terms of diversity. However, the animals are a mix of genders, and Annika mentions an abuela, suggesting she might be of Latinx descent. show less
This is a very sweet story, with a quaintness to it in both the language and the gentle watercolor illustrations. It feels like the type of book that younger readers advancing show more from Frog and Toad early readers onto chapter books would enjoy, or for those readers who love the charm of Winnie the Pooh and other friends from the 100 Acre Wood. The language is mostly straightforward and simple, but it is interspersed with some lesser known words such as "thrice," and Mole has a habit of addressing the crew as "friends" in various languages, including Italian, Japanese, and Zulu.
There are a couple of different plotlines going on here, but I don't think it is at all too complicated for young readers to follow. The overall message is about chosen family being as important (or more important) than biological family. For instance, consider when Hedgehog finally meets other hedgehogs like her and learns they don't enjoy playing in the snow: "These hedgehogs might be made of the same spines and snouts, but their hearts spoke different languages." and the final words of the book as the various animals and Annika Mae gather in the Friend Fort: "They might look different on the outside, but in their hearts, they were family." It is all done with a gentle touch, not overly didactic or heavy-handed, and without casting aspersions on the other hedgehogs -- just acknowledging that they have different interests than Hedgehog.
This book is the second in a series, but it seems to generally stand on its own. I guess there might be a backstory as to how these unlikely band of forest animals and little girl became friends in the first place, but it doesn't really seem to matter for this tale. Embarrassingly enough, it did take me a short chapter or two to realize that Mutty is indeed a plush toy and not a real dog.
As the book is primarily full of animal characters, there isn't much to speak of in terms of diversity. However, the animals are a mix of genders, and Annika mentions an abuela, suggesting she might be of Latinx descent. show less
A standalone sequel to Nana in the City, this book isn't quite as strong as that one, but it's lovely all the same. The grandchild - now the host, not the guest - can't wait to show Nana "everything I love," but is a bit disappointed that they can't show Nana how to do anything - she already knows it all! But when some sheep escape during a thunderstorm, it's the grandchild who remembers how to lure them back with a carrot treat. When it's time for Nana to return to the city, she goes with a show more souvenir (a feather) in her hat. show less
A girl and her mom have moved to a new apartment in a new city. The girl likes their home, where she feels safe; she declines her mom's offers to take her to the park, and when Mom tries to arrange a playdate, "my face turned hot and my eyes felt wet." Even a storytime at a bookstore is too much. So one day, Mom takes the girl to the animal shelter, where she meets Millie: "A not too big, not too small dog. A just right dog." She overcomes her nerves and pets the dog, and they bring Millie show more home. On daily walks, the girl notices that Millie is friendly to everyone they meet: "Millie wagged back. She wasn't afraid." The girl feels safe with Millie, and encountering new people becomes less scary each time. The girl even agrees to take Millie to the dog park, because she knows the dog will like it there. While Millie plays, the girl and her mom sit on a bench, and another mom and girl approach. This girl is equally shy, and the first girl suggests, to her mom's surprise, that they go over and say hello. "It felt safe. And just like Millie, I made a friend."
A beautiful story of overcoming shyness enough to make a friend. Millie the dog is an inspiration, and Mom shows patience with her daughter needing to do things in her own way and at her own pace. show less
A beautiful story of overcoming shyness enough to make a friend. Millie the dog is an inspiration, and Mom shows patience with her daughter needing to do things in her own way and at her own pace. show less
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- Works
- 10
- Also by
- 18
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- Rating
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- Reviews
- 132
- ISBNs
- 42
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