Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat

Bibliography:

Steptoe, Javaka. Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. New York: Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016. ISBN: 9780316213882

Summary:

In the heart of Brooklyn, a young boy dreams of becoming a famous artist. From morning to night, he scrawls messy drawings across scraps of paper, spilling his imagination onto the repurposed materials with serious focus and determination. Inspired by his Puertorican mother who draws with him and takes him to museums to see famous works like Picasso’s Guernica, young Jean-Michel Basquiat begins to channel his Haitian father’s jazz records and the energy and life of the city into his art. After a car accident leaves Jean-Michel in bed to recover, Jean-Michel’s mother gives him an anatomy book full of bones and skulls, which he learns to draw, giving him healing and comfort during a painful time. When his mother becomes mentally unwell, she must move out, and Jean-Michel’s heart is broken. Now a couch-surfing teenager, he takes his art to the streets, painting graffiti designs around the city tagged with the name SAMO© and selling postcards. When he is discovered by a thriving art scene looking for unconventional artists who represent the energy of the street, Basquiat makes it big. His art moves from the streets to the gallery, where he cranks out collage-style paintings to the blare of music and television, finding inspiration everywhere he looks. Now a successful artist rubbing shoulders with Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, Basquiat makes his mark on art history. “People describe him as radiant, wild, a genius child, but in his heart he is king, so he draws crowns for himself and others he admires,” not least of all, his mother.

Critical Analysis:

Javaka Steptoe pours his admiration for Jean-Michel Basquiat into the text and illustrations of his book, mimicking Basquiat’s visual style by layering paint on found materials from the streets of New York City. Steptoe tells the story of Baquiat’s rise to fame in simple and straightforward language paired with colorful and raw collage illustrations. A Brooklynite himself, in his author’s note, Steptoe describes the profound impact Basquiat’s art had on him as a young African American artist striving to make it in the art world. Steptoe reserves the more tragic elements of Basquat’s story, such as his troubles with drug addiction and early death at age 27, for the “More About Jean-Michel Basquiat” section at the end of the book. This choice emphasizes that the purpose of the book is to celebrate Basquiat’s accomplishments while preserving the accuracy and authenticity necessary for a well-rounded biographical introduction to an inspiring and mysterious man. Included in the back matter of the book is a section on “Motifs and Symbolism is Basquiat’s Work,” citing symbols such as crowns, eyes, and cars, as well as motifs relating to capitalism, colonialism, folklore, African art, and jazz. In this book, young readers as well as adults will find a lively and accessible introduction into the story of one of the great artists of our time.

Awards and Review Excerpts:

2017 Caldecott Award
2017 NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Literary Work – Children
2017 ALA Coretta Scott King Award

"Javaka Steptoe is the perfect person to create this book: a tour de force that will introduce an important artist to a new generation."―The Horn Book

"One extraordinary artist illuminates another in this textured, heartfelt picture book biography.... Pairing simple text with expressive, encompassing illustrations, this excellent title offers a new generation a fittingly powerful introduction to an artistic luminary."―School Library Journal

"In this visually arresting and vibrantly narrated biography, Steptoe... emulates 1980s street art by layering paint, paper scraps, paint tubes, and photos on found-wood panels.... Steptoe downplays tragic elements, instead celebrating Basquiat's irreverence and brilliance."―Publishers Weekly

Connections:

Enjoy this fantastic collaboration between Basquiat and Maya Angelou:
Angelou, Maya and Jean-Michel Basquiat and Sara Jane Boyers. Life Doesn't Frighten Me (25th Anniversary Edition). New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2018. ISBN: 1419727486

Collect scrap paper, wood, and unconventional art materials to use as canvas for painting. Invite students to experiment with some of Basquat’s signature techniques. 

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