Life Doesn't Frighten Me

The poem might not frighten you, but Basquiat's pictures might. I don't know who wrote the blurb for the book, but the pictures are far from childlike, as anyone who is familiar with Basquiat's art would know. The book is ostensibly a children's book but I bought it as an art book and cannot imagine a child who would actually enjoy these harsh, self-referencing pictures. Basquiat had always lived it up on drugs and alcohol, but limited means bought limited supplies. The bounty that was fame and money for the latest, much-lauded inheritor of Warhol's Factory ethos bought him excess, brought him death.

Its a gentle childlike poem, yes, but its a hell of an art book to own. ( )

Life may not frighten me, but I must admit that many of Basquiat's paintings leave me feeling unsettled. I love Maya Angelou's poem though, and I think the combination of paintings and stanzas is good. ( )

The poetry in this book is amazing. Maya Angelou writes that even with scary things, there is no reason to fear life. The painter did a great job, and his work reflects what Angelou was saying. ( )

Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Second Edition, 1997 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, September 1993 ; Cahners; United States
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 1994 ; American Library Association-YALSA; United States ( )