Happy National Women’s Day!
This is one of my most cherished sketches by Mr. Steptoe
The Moment
Tag Archives: javaka steptoe
My Classroom Door
The theme for this year was based on Javaka Steptoe’s book, Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
I got foam like crowns and pieces of foam for the frame from the dollar store. The radiant stars had to write one radiant thing they learned so far in the third grade.
The Jimi Hendrix Show
I just came across these old photos (2013) of the children at Van Cortland Park with author and illustrator, Javaka Steptoe. They listened to Mr. Steptoe talk about Jimi Hendrix and then had fun acting out his life out.
Javaka Steptoe
A dear friend and mentor, Mr. Steptoe posing at the 25th African American Children’s book fair with his new book, Radiant Child: The Life and Story of Jean-Michel Basquiat, which is the winner of the 2017 Randolph Caldecott Medal and of the 2017 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award.
Congratulations Javaka!
Authors and Illustrators
From left to right:
Javaka Steptoe, Carole Boston Weatherford, R. Gregory Christie, Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Elizabeth Zunon, Floyd Cooper and Jeffery Boston Weatherford
Taken at the 25th Annual African American Children’s Book Fair
Javaka Steptoe came to Church!
I’ve been witnessing to Mr. Steptoe for awhile and praying that one day God will allow him to visit my church and it finally came to pass December 29th 2013! He came to church! I was very happy as you can see in the picture.
Javaka Steptoe is an illustrator and children’s book author. You can check out his work at http://www.javaka.com/
Caribbean Style Icecream
Last weekend I spent a little time in Brooklyn with a friend and children’s book artist, Javaka Steptoe, who introduced me to Caribbean Style Ice cream.
So, the owner, Robert, makes home-made ice cream using natural ingredients. The ice cream was really, really good. I hope I can find the same business in the Bronx…but what I like the best was their customer service. Robert made small talk with everyone who came to buy and allowed you to taste and try.
Hopefully I can visit again in the near future and get some more!
Javaka Steptoe
While volunteering at the New York Public Library, I became interested in children’s literature. Almost every week I was reading a new book to a new child. Every child I worked with, was able to pick out a book of their interest for me to read to them.
It didn’t take long for my journal to be filled with children author’s, illustrators, and photographers. When the year was up and I started to work, I missed working with children and reading children books. To fill this void, I contacted all the artist that I could, offering my services for almost nothing but experience in return.
Javaka Steptoe, an African-American children’s book artist, replied to my email almost immediately. We begin working together.
A little after I began to work for him, his recent book, Jimi: Sounds like a Rainbow, (written by Gary Golio and Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe) was listed on The New York Times Best seller list.
Working with Steptoe gave me a better view of the “children book world” and has allowed me to meet legendary artist like himself. Some of them assumed that I was also an illustrator or at least an author. Well, not yet.
One of the most exciting book events I’ve been to so far happen at the beginning of this month.
I was blessed to attend the 19th Annual African-American Children’s book fair held in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Community College of Philadelphia gymnasium.
As a little girl, I always enjoyed going to book fairs. However, I never been to one as grand as this one.
For starters, there were a good amount of authors and illustrators there to meet the children: Javaka Steptoe, Sean Qualls, Bryan Collier, and Renee Watson just to name a few.
Imagine being in third grade and meeting the person who wrote your favorite book? I didn’t even imagine that when I was a third grader. There was also gifts for the children which I think the kids enjoyed the most.
I enjoy working with Steptoe and look forward to more projects in the future.
Pictured here is Me, the Orange, and Steptoe
(Steptoe left an apple, a banana, a pear, a orange and a bottle of water on the table during the fair….these hungry kids came by and asked for everything…I kept the water and Steptoe kept his orange.)
