Radiant Child

Radiant Child

Picture book
Woo hoo! It's not every day I can score the latest Caldecott
Medal winner, hot off the library shelf! If there is a book that
deserves that honor, surely it is Javaka Steptoe's Radiant Child.
Steptoe gives readers the story of talented artist Jean-Michel
Basquiat. As a child he drew prolifically in a style of his own.
"His drawings are not neat or clean, nor does he color inside the
lines. They are sloppy, ugly, and sometimes weird, but still
BEAUTIFUL."
He got a lot of encouragement from his mother who would draw
with him. She taught him that life lay as much in city life as in the
museum they would visit. As a teen on his own he went from grafiti to
galleries, staying true to his style.
The illustrations, in my mind, are the best part of the book.
They leap out at you. Steptoe set himself a daunting task. Instead
of giving readers copies of Basquiat's pictures, he created original
interpretations. He hoped readers will seek out originals in museums
and on line.
"Jean-Michel Basquiat went after his dream of becoming a famous
artist with all his heart. There is no doubt he made a mark on the
world and encouraged others to do the same, and that matters--
especially to artists and storytellers like me."
On a personal note, after the record setting snows that have recently
inundated Penobscot County we're now dealing with spring like temps.
Yesterday I was walking around without a coat. I got the cutest
sweatshirt free at Black Bear Exchange. It's grey with three fine
felines. It says insane cat posse. It's the cats' pajamas!!!
A great big shout out goes out to the UMaine students who are eagerly
looking forward to spring break.
jules hathaway


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