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Radiant Child

the Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jul 06, 2017
"Radiant Child" is indeed radiant, with Steptoe's richly hued, roughly textured art dancing across each page. Using photographs of his own paintings made on found wood scraps from his native Brooklyn, Steptoe introduces the reader to Jean-Michel Basquiat, a young man with a fervent desire to become a famous artist. The book starts with Basquiat's early years spent drawing with his mother, follows him as he suffers through physical injury and his mother's mental illness, and concludes with his teen and adult years, making wild and interesting art like he always dreamed he would. A colorful and engaging read, certainly worthy of the 2017 Caldecott Medal!