Javaka Steptoe
Javaka Steptoe (born April 19, 1971) is an American author and illustrator. He won the 2017 Caldecott Medal as well as the Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, and the Coretta Scott King Book Award from the American Library Association for his picture book Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Javaka Steptoe
Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
- Born
- 19 April 1971
- Awards
- Caldecott Medal Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- librarian · art educator · picture book writer · designer · illustrator
- Education
- Cooper Union
- Honours
- Caldecott Medal · Coretta Scott King Award
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Javaka Steptoe (born April 19, 1971) is an American author and illustrator. He won the 2017 Caldecott Medal as well as the Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, and the Coretta Scott King Book Award from the American Library Association for his picture book Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
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Note VALÉORINE
Javaka Steptoe (born 1971) is an American art educator, designer and illustrator, among other activities. The art educator was born in New York City.
Javaka Steptoe studied at Cooper Union. The art educator worked for Brooklyn Children's Museum and lived in Brooklyn.
Languages used include English. Javaka Steptoe received Caldecott Medal and Coretta Scott King Award.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 30 September 2026
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wikidata · Q38165867 · wikipedia · Javaka Steptoe
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Born — 19 April 1971 • Notable Works — Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat • Parents — John Steptoe (father) • Awards — Caldecott Medal Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award • Website — javaka.com
Early life
Early life
Javaka Steptoe was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of John Steptoe, who twice won Caldecott Honors (for his book The Story of Jumping Mouse in 1985 and Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters in 1988.) Growing up, Javaka Steptoe served as a model for his father's books. He then attended Cooper Union, earning a BFA.
Career
Career
Steptoe's Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat was initially inspired by an exhibit he saw of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's artwork at the Brooklyn Museum in 2005. The resulting picture book won the 2017 Caldecott Medal as well as the Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature and the 2017 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award from the American Library Association. Steptoe's other works include illustrating Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix (Clarion Books, 2010) and writing and illustrating In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers (Lee & Low Books, 1997), which also won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and the 1998 Firecracker Alternative Book Award.
Personal life
Personal life
Steptoe lives in Brooklyn.
Places
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Brooklyn
Residences
New York City.
Birth place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Steptoe, Javaka, 1971-. Library of Congress Authorities.
- 2.Monique, Porsha. Caldecott Medal winner Javaka Steptoe likens his writing to music. Rolling Out. 11 March 2017.
- 3.Isaacs, Mike. Caldecott Medal winner for best picture book visits Skokie. Chicago Tribune. 28 June 2017.
- 4.Smith, Henrietta M. The Coretta Scott King Awards, 1970-2009. American Library Association. 101. 2009-06-29. 978-0-8389-3584-2.
- 5.Javaka Steptoe Biography. www.javaka.com.
- 6.Gish, Sarah. Basquiat for kids: Caldecott winner Javaka Steptoe brings 'Radiant Child' to LitFestKC. Kansas City Star. 23 April 2017.
- 7.NPR Staff. Jimi Sounds Like A Rainbow: Hendrix For Kids. NPR. 23 October 2010.
- 8.Children's Book Review: Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix by Gary Golio, illus. by Javaka Steptoe, Clarion, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-618-85279-6. Publishers Weekly. 4 October 2010.
- 9.Children's Book Review: In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers by Javaka Steptoe, Author, Javaka Steptoe, Illustrator Lee & Low Books $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-880000-31-1. Publishers Weekly. 3 November 1997.
- 10.Firecracker Alternative Book Awards. ReadersRead.com.
- 11.Maughan, Shannon. 'A Very Incredible Day': Javaka Steptoe on His 2017 Caldecott Medal. Publishers Weekly. 23 January 2017.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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