Javaka Steptoe

Javaka Steptoe is an 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. The book was initially inspired by a Basquiat exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum Steptoe saw in 2005.

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 Book Award.

Steptoe lives in Brooklyn. His father is John Steptoe, who twice won Caldecott Honors (for his book The Story of Jumping Mouse in 1985 and Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters in 1988.)