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A review by jecoats
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe
4.0
I discovered this picturebook while searching for winners of the Caldecott Medal (which this book was awarded in 2019) on Goodreads. I checked out a digital copy from my local library.
Javaka Steptoe’s biographical account of Jean-Michel Basquiat is captured in this stunningly unique picturebook. The story begins with Basquiat as a young child who is fascinated by art and dreams of becoming a famous artist. Even after being involved in a car accident and facing his mother’s declining health, Basquiat still holds onto that dream. As a teen he heads to New York City where he paints the walls, signing his name - Samo. He then moves into a studio where he creates his signature artwork for all the world to enjoy, finally achieving his dream of becoming a famous artist.
The story told in Radiant Child is linear and easy to follow, even as Steptoe makes fairly large leaps in time. I wondered if this picturebook might have been better if it told the story from only a moment or two in Basquiat’s life, but Steptoe does a great job of making the reader feel like we’ve witnessed an entire person's life in a short span of time. The text is relatively minimal; each page only contains one or two sentences. Most of the text appears under the illustrations, which makes sense as Steptoe likely wanted readers to engage with the artwork before moving on to the text.
The artwork is certainly the most striking part of this book, and rightfully so. There is a wide range of textures and vivid colors on each page that were inspired by Basquiat’s own signature style of art. Some might find the pages a bit on the busy side or an overload of visual input. Others will undoubtedly delight in the liveliness of the world that Steptoe has painstakingly crafted.
While this picturebook doesn’t reflect Basquiat’s life as a Haitian/Puerto Rican man living in New York, it is nevertheless important as it showcases a famous and celebrated person of color. This would probably have a great impact on both Haitian and Puerto Rican students, as well as other students of color. I think this book might be best suited for older elementary to high school students as it has a positive message about following your dreams and about being different and unique.
Javaka Steptoe’s biographical account of Jean-Michel Basquiat is captured in this stunningly unique picturebook. The story begins with Basquiat as a young child who is fascinated by art and dreams of becoming a famous artist. Even after being involved in a car accident and facing his mother’s declining health, Basquiat still holds onto that dream. As a teen he heads to New York City where he paints the walls, signing his name - Samo. He then moves into a studio where he creates his signature artwork for all the world to enjoy, finally achieving his dream of becoming a famous artist.
The story told in Radiant Child is linear and easy to follow, even as Steptoe makes fairly large leaps in time. I wondered if this picturebook might have been better if it told the story from only a moment or two in Basquiat’s life, but Steptoe does a great job of making the reader feel like we’ve witnessed an entire person's life in a short span of time. The text is relatively minimal; each page only contains one or two sentences. Most of the text appears under the illustrations, which makes sense as Steptoe likely wanted readers to engage with the artwork before moving on to the text.
The artwork is certainly the most striking part of this book, and rightfully so. There is a wide range of textures and vivid colors on each page that were inspired by Basquiat’s own signature style of art. Some might find the pages a bit on the busy side or an overload of visual input. Others will undoubtedly delight in the liveliness of the world that Steptoe has painstakingly crafted.
While this picturebook doesn’t reflect Basquiat’s life as a Haitian/Puerto Rican man living in New York, it is nevertheless important as it showcases a famous and celebrated person of color. This would probably have a great impact on both Haitian and Puerto Rican students, as well as other students of color. I think this book might be best suited for older elementary to high school students as it has a positive message about following your dreams and about being different and unique.