Marley and the Family Band

by Cedella Marley, Tracey Baptiste, Tiffany Rose (Illustrator)

Overview

A picture book that celebrates music, love, and family from author Cedella Marley. A poetic story about a young girl who moves to a new country and learns to make friends—inspired by a childhood growing up with the musician Bob Marley as a father.

When Marley and her family move from Jamaica to Delaware, she knows life is about to change in big ways. And she's got the perfect plan to help her and her siblings make friends: an outdoor concert for the whole neighborhood!

But when weather ruins their plans, she discovers help in the most unlikely places as her new neighbors quickly become the kindest of friends.

In this joyful, vibrant picture book inspired by her childhood and iconic father, Cedella Marley assures children that nothing can stop the music as long as they have community.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593301111
Publisher:	Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	02/01/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	376,419
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Cedella Marley is a Grammy-winning singer, designer, entrepreneur, and the first-born daughter of reggae singers Bob and Rita Marley. She is the CEO of Bob Marley's recording label, Tuff Gong International, and the author of multiple children's books including One Love. A life-long advocate of philanthropy, Cedella is the director of the Bob Marley Foundation and is a Global Ambassador to the Jamaica Women's Football Program. Cedella Marley is a living embodiment of the way the ethics and values instilled during her upbringing carry forward the belief that, with passion and purpose, we can all make a difference in our communities, our country, and ultimately the world. She lives in Miami with her husband and three children.

Editorial Reviews

02/28/2022

Young Marley and her musical family have recently moved from Jamaica to Delaware, where they had plans to introduce themselves to the community with an outdoor concert—until rain calls off the gig. Marley applies her knowledge of hurricanes to the problem at hand: she and her siblings exchange bailing a leaky basement and other neighborly assistance for “a tarp, eight umbrellas, and three rain hats” to cover the stage. But when they discover another neighbor in dire need of rain gear, they gladly give it up—a good deed that, in authors Marley and Baptiste’s play-by-play text, inspires the neighborhood (whose brown-skinned characters have varying skin tones) to ensure that the show goes on. And Rose’s buoyant digital illustrations, in which kids in bright slickers walk amid silvery raindrops, convey a sense of unsinkable community. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"Cedella Marley’s newest children’s book contributes to the legacy of her father, Bob Marley, and showcases the power of unity and family."—L.A. Parent

"A well-played serenade to the power of kindness and community."—Kirkus Reviews

"Buoyant ... a sense of unsinkable community." —Publishers Weekly

"This picture book shows readers the importance of helping people in the community and being there for them when they’re in need. A beautiful and necessary purchase that celebrates family and community." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

04/29/2022

PreS-Gr 2—Marley and her family have moved from Jamaica to Delaware. In a new city, they decide to host a concert night at the park where Marley hopes to meet the neighbors and make lots of new friends. The weather has other plans and it starts to rain, causing Marley to worry that the concert might be called off. Marley comes up with the idea to hang umbrellas at the outdoor venue, so people don't get wet. She realizes that since storms create problems, if they help their neighbors with those problems, they might get some umbrellas in return. Going door to door, they help their neighbors with storm problems like luring a cat off a garage and helping bail out a flooded basement. When they visit the last neighbor, they make the selfless decision of giving their collected umbrellas and rain gear to the neighbor that needs them more. Written by the eldest daughter of Bob and Rita Marley, this is a celebration of family and community. The lovely illustrations depict a supportive community of Black people with varied skin tones from light to dark. This picture book shows readers the importance of helping people in the community and being there for them when they're in need. VERDICT A beautiful and necessary purchase that celebrates family and community.—Myiesha Speight

School Library Journal

2021-11-16
Newly arrived in Delaware from Jamaica, Marley is determined to make new friends by performing an outdoor family concert for her neighbors.

The weather, however, has other plans. Marley’s parents and older sister seem ready for a rain check as a downpour drags on outside, but Marley and her two younger brothers, Axel and Zayne, won’t be dissuaded. “You can’t fix a problem until you look at it up close,” Marley tells her mother, then the three children don rain gear and head for the park. Having experienced tropical storms back in Jamaica, Marley decides that the concert can go on if many umbrellas are hung from the overhead stage lights. “Who has that many umbrellas?” Axel asks skeptically. Marley decides they will help their neighbors with their storm problems in exchange for umbrellas. The siblings cheerfully and determinedly rescue a cat, bail out a flooded basement, and pick produce in a greenhouse. The plan works well until they meet someone who needs all the umbrellas they have collected. There is a small moment of hesitation when Marley’s smile loses its sunniness, but she and her brothers head home empty-handed. The ending is both unsurprising and gratifying. The vibrant digital watercolor-and-crayon illustrations coupled with the communal focus of the text set a positive tone throughout. The joy of music is present in textual metaphors as well as visual representations of instruments and musical notes, even in the endpapers. Marley and her family are Black, while the neighbors have skin tones that range from pale to dark.

A well-played serenade to the power of kindness and community. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews