---
product_id: 36282439
title: "Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Caldecott & Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner)"
price: "€ 38.47"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/36282439-radiant-child-the-story-of-young-artist-jean-michel-basquiat
store_origin: HR
region: Croatia
---

# Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Caldecott & Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner)

**Price:** € 38.47
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- **What is this?** Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Caldecott & Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner)
- **How much does it cost?** € 38.47 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/36282439-radiant-child-the-story-of-young-artist-jean-michel-basquiat)

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## Description

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Caldecott & Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner) [Steptoe, Javaka] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Caldecott & Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner)

Review: no one else I've seen can hold the attention of a bunch of kids in a library like this author seems to - There is really no way to describe the beauty of this "Picture Book" as it tells an immensely complex tale of an immensely complex artist -- in a way that kids can recognize themselves in this icon of a generation. The collage of visuals either follow, or lead, the complexity of Basquiat's life. For all those Baby Boomers having kids there late 40s and fifties, Javaka Steptoe's work allows your youngsters to know a part of you and history. Not to mention, no one else I've seen can hold the attention of a bunch of kids in a library like this author seems to. The Caldecott Medal was well aimed.
Review: This children's book won every possible award. So give it to a kid. And get one for yourself. - “Somewhere in Brooklyn, between hearts that thump, double Dutch, and hopscotch and salty mouths that slurp sweet ice, a little boy dreams of being a famous ARTIST.” Those are the words that begin “Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat,” a 40-page art-and-text book for kids by Javaka Steptoe. But… grades 1 to 5? Ages 6-10? Really? I mean, yes, great, little kids will love the art and one of them, a dreamer, will think he’ll grow up to be a great artist, but this book is also terrific for tweens who may not care about art but who like short texts and great visuals. My daughter is coming up on her 15th birthday — she’s getting this book. And you, the adult reading this: If your ideal of a visual binge is multiple episodes of something on the flat screen and you’d like some rich, vibrant eye candy wrapped around a poem, yeah, do it. (Style advice: Then put it on the coffee table, like it’s an award-winning art book.) I’m not the only one who’s nuts about “Radiant Child.” It won the 2017 Randolph Caldecott Medal. It was a “best book” of the year for the Washington Post, NPR, Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, and many more. Why? Because what Javaka Steptoe has recorded in this book is the arc from dream to accomplishment. What ingredients are necessary for that to happen. Who needs to provide support. The price that gets paid. And who gets acknowledged at the pinnacle. As a kid, he tells us, Basquiat “wakes from his dreams” to draw. His work is “sloppy, ugly, and sometimes weird, but somehow still BEAUTIFUL.” His mother agrees; she lies on the floor and draws with him. She takes him to theater and museums, showing him what’s possible. There’s a powerful spread of Basquiat in short pants, holding his mother’s hand, as he stares at his favorite picture, Picasso’s “Guernica.” And then, disaster: “His mother’s mind is not well.” She can no longer live at home. Heartbroken, Jean-Michel tries to draw the blues, but can’t. He leaves Brooklyn, and on the streets of New York sees an energy equal to his own. He draws on walls and streets. His graffiti gets noticed. He becomes a famous painter. People describe him as “radiant, wild, a genius child, but in his heart he is king.” He draws crowns for himself and people he admires. He still visits his mother. They talk about art. And in his paintings, he gives his mother “the place of honor. She’s “a queen on a throne.” These few words are matched by Steptoe’s art. He doesn’t paint Basquiat’s pictures, he channels his spirit, using discarded wood and then painting on it. Steptoe creates grids, then breaks the images up; the pages aren’t neat. The result is a book of powerful physicality. And emotion — Steptoe’s father is a noted illustrator, but much of the story of Basquiat and his mother is also, sadly, the story of Steptoe and his mother. Mental illness, the loss of a parent, art that doesn’t live between the lines — isn’t this a lot for a 6-year-old? Depends. I have a box of our daughter’s art from that age; she had something going. And what kids understand? You’d be surprised. As for their dreams, don’t be stunned if “getting famous” is on the list. A prudent parent who reads this book to a child and then hands it over would do well to have to some art supplies handy. Basquiet died of an overdose when he was 27. But not in these pages. This is the story of a boy with a dream. He worked hard. He made it. He deserves the crown he wears. Triumph. Who doesn’t wish for that?

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #28,165 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #11 in Children's Art Biographies (Books) #30 in Children's Painting Books (Books) #102 in Children's Multicultural Biographies |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (615) |
| Dimensions  | 9.5 x 0.5 x 11.13 inches |
| Edition  | Illustrated |
| Grade level  | Preschool - 3 |
| ISBN-10  | 0316213888 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0316213882 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Part of series  | Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature. Commended |
| Print length  | 40 pages |
| Publication date  | October 25, 2016 |
| Publisher  | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
| Reading age  | 5 - 10 years, from customers |

## Images

![Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Caldecott & Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91WPrYot+eL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ no one else I've seen can hold the attention of a bunch of kids in a library like this author seems to
*by S***S on June 14, 2018*

There is really no way to describe the beauty of this "Picture Book" as it tells an immensely complex tale of an immensely complex artist -- in a way that kids can recognize themselves in this icon of a generation. The collage of visuals either follow, or lead, the complexity of Basquiat's life. For all those Baby Boomers having kids there late 40s and fifties, Javaka Steptoe's work allows your youngsters to know a part of you and history. Not to mention, no one else I've seen can hold the attention of a bunch of kids in a library like this author seems to. The Caldecott Medal was well aimed.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This children's book won every possible award. So give it to a kid. And get one for yourself.
*by H***R on March 7, 2017*

“Somewhere in Brooklyn, between hearts that thump, double Dutch, and hopscotch and salty mouths that slurp sweet ice, a little boy dreams of being a famous ARTIST.” Those are the words that begin “Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat,” a 40-page art-and-text book for kids by Javaka Steptoe. But… grades 1 to 5? Ages 6-10? Really? I mean, yes, great, little kids will love the art and one of them, a dreamer, will think he’ll grow up to be a great artist, but this book is also terrific for tweens who may not care about art but who like short texts and great visuals. My daughter is coming up on her 15th birthday — she’s getting this book. And you, the adult reading this: If your ideal of a visual binge is multiple episodes of something on the flat screen and you’d like some rich, vibrant eye candy wrapped around a poem, yeah, do it. (Style advice: Then put it on the coffee table, like it’s an award-winning art book.) I’m not the only one who’s nuts about “Radiant Child.” It won the 2017 Randolph Caldecott Medal. It was a “best book” of the year for the Washington Post, NPR, Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, and many more. Why? Because what Javaka Steptoe has recorded in this book is the arc from dream to accomplishment. What ingredients are necessary for that to happen. Who needs to provide support. The price that gets paid. And who gets acknowledged at the pinnacle. As a kid, he tells us, Basquiat “wakes from his dreams” to draw. His work is “sloppy, ugly, and sometimes weird, but somehow still BEAUTIFUL.” His mother agrees; she lies on the floor and draws with him. She takes him to theater and museums, showing him what’s possible. There’s a powerful spread of Basquiat in short pants, holding his mother’s hand, as he stares at his favorite picture, Picasso’s “Guernica.” And then, disaster: “His mother’s mind is not well.” She can no longer live at home. Heartbroken, Jean-Michel tries to draw the blues, but can’t. He leaves Brooklyn, and on the streets of New York sees an energy equal to his own. He draws on walls and streets. His graffiti gets noticed. He becomes a famous painter. People describe him as “radiant, wild, a genius child, but in his heart he is king.” He draws crowns for himself and people he admires. He still visits his mother. They talk about art. And in his paintings, he gives his mother “the place of honor. She’s “a queen on a throne.” These few words are matched by Steptoe’s art. He doesn’t paint Basquiat’s pictures, he channels his spirit, using discarded wood and then painting on it. Steptoe creates grids, then breaks the images up; the pages aren’t neat. The result is a book of powerful physicality. And emotion — Steptoe’s father is a noted illustrator, but much of the story of Basquiat and his mother is also, sadly, the story of Steptoe and his mother. Mental illness, the loss of a parent, art that doesn’t live between the lines — isn’t this a lot for a 6-year-old? Depends. I have a box of our daughter’s art from that age; she had something going. And what kids understand? You’d be surprised. As for their dreams, don’t be stunned if “getting famous” is on the list. A prudent parent who reads this book to a child and then hands it over would do well to have to some art supplies handy. Basquiet died of an overdose when he was 27. But not in these pages. This is the story of a boy with a dream. He worked hard. He made it. He deserves the crown he wears. Triumph. Who doesn’t wish for that?

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful book
*by S***Y on January 19, 2026*

Beautiful book. Good for adults as well as kids.

## Frequently Bought Together

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*Product available on Desertcart Croatia*
*Store origin: HR*
*Last updated: 2026-03-19*