I and I Bob Marley

by Tony Medina, Jesse Joshua Watson (Illustrator)

Overview

A biography in verse of reggae legend Bob Marley, exploring the influences that shaped his life and music on his journey from rural Jamaican childhood to international superstardom.

Born in the Jamaican countryside in 1945, Bob Marley seemed special from birth. The curious, intuitive boy had an extraordinary gift for absorbing and interpreting the world around him.

Influenced by his biracial heritage, his island home, and the injustices he observed in everyday life, Bob went on to become a musician and messenger; a poet and prophet of reggae culture. His music echoed from Jamaica all the way across the globe, spreading his heartfelt message of peace, love, and equality to everyone who heard his songs.

Brimming with imagination and insight, I and I Bob Marley, is a multifaceted tribute befitting this international musical legend. Soulful, sun-drenched paintings transport readers to Bob Marley's Jamaica, while uniquely perceptive poems bring to life his fascinating journey from boy to icon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620140307
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	05/01/2009
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	8 - 13 Years

About the Author

Tony Medina is the author of six beloved books for young readers, as well as multiple volumes of poetry for adults. A Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and a professor of creative writing at Howard University, Dr. Medina is a two-time winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. He lives in the Washington, DC area.

Jesse Joshua Watson is a fine artist and illustrator whose work has appeared in galleries, on CD covers, and more recently in children's books. An avid traveler, Watson's artwork reflects the cultures and people he connects with along the way. Watson lives with his wife and their sons in Port Townsend, Washington. Chess battles with family members are a favorite pastime. His website is jessewatson.com.

Editorial Reviews

* "[A] rare, soulful tribute." — Booklist, starred review

"[T]he poems resonate with the artist's message throughout. . . Anyone interested in reggae music and its major voice will find this volume intriguing." — School Library Journal

"This lyrical picture-book biography of the reggae icon tells his story in verse, from humble beginnings in a small Jamaican village to his glory days as an influential musician." — Publishers Weekly

"Thoughtful and adept. . . Watson's acrylics capture Marley's public magnetism as well as private, introspective moments." — The Horn Book

"I and I Bob Marley is artistic and adept in both its verse and visuals, and perhaps most importantly, it can be used to reinforce positivity—the ultimate message of Bob Marley's life." — Multicultural Review

Best of the Best Books - Chicago Public Library
CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Celebrate with Books - Cleveland Public Library

From the Publisher

This lyrical picture-book biography of the reggae icon tells his story in verse, from humble beginnings in a small Jamaican village to his glory days as an influential musician. Told in first person (the "I and I" can mean "we"), 17 poems chronologically plot Marley's life path-combined, the poems (and vibrant acrylics) paint a vivid picture of the poverty and turmoil but also the love, faith and island beauty from which Marley arose. "At Fourteen" describes his entrée into the music scene with Peter Tosh, Joe Higgs and others, while "Island Song" is a rebuke of Jamaican oppression. "Yell-ow green black and red/ I and I a natty dread/ African Arawak Taino/ I am from/ Slave ship mountains/ And Caribbean rum." While readers may not understand all the verses and terms, Medina's (Love to Langston) thorough endnotes will answer questions, e.g., what the term Babylon means. Watson's (Chess Rumble) majestic art powerfully evokes the people and places that had the strongest influence on Marley, as well as the power he himself would wield. Ages 8-12. (May)

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Publishers Weekly

Gr 4 Up

When Bob Marley died in 1981, he was a legend in the music world. He had taken the beat-driven music of his people, reggae, and placed it squarely on the world stage. As trite as the saying is, his music has lived on well beyond his death, and this biography in verse brings him to the forefront once again. Medina, clearly a fan, has created a series of poems that follow Marley's life from childhood through his death at age 36. Born a biracial child in poverty in Jamaica, Marley always felt uncomfortable about having a British father whom he saw as a member of the party of oppression. Marley knew he wanted to be a singer at a young age. Overcoming enormous obstacles, he attained what most can only dream of and used his fame and his Rastafarian religion to support his hope for peace in the world. Referencing Marley's songs again and again, the poems resonate with the artist's message throughout. Watson's arresting art sings of the highs and lows of Jamaica, both the abject poverty and the beauty of the island and its people. Copious back matter provides context for each of the songs/poems and helps neophytes understand the music and the man. Anyone interested in reggae music and its major voice will find this volume intriguing. Contemporary children, however, may need to be encouraged to read this book since Bob Marley is not someone they typically listen to.-Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

School Library Journal

In Love to Langston, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (2002), Medina paid homage to the Harlem poet Langston Hughes. His latest biography-in-verse celebrates another powerful master of words: Bob Marley. Early poems show Marley growing up on the Jamaican "farm of Nine Miles dust," struggling to understand his mixed heritage and absent father. Then, in "My Papa Sends for Me," a scared little boy of six boards a bus in the hopes of a better future, all the while crying "a hurricane of pain." Stories unfold in 17 individual poems as Marley learns the power of music, falls in love and ultimately shares his redemption songs with the world. Biographical elements sometimes stall the pace, but most verses scan smoothly in a relaxed, reggae style. Watson's light-soaked strokes of reds, greens and yellows saturate the pages with warmth and vitality. The irrefutable kind of reggae bursts forth with twinkling eyes and "dreads / a twirl." From love to politics to peace, Marley's music stirs the soul-as does this passionate collaboration. Detailed endnotes provide background, poem by poem. (Biography/poetry. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews