I and I Bob Marley [Hardcover]

Tony Medina (Author), Jesse Joshua Watson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2009 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

It's surprising, given Bob Marley's international fame and accessible, peace-promoting music, that there are so few books about his life available for youth. Medina, whose children's books include Love to Langston (2002), helps fill the void with this glowing, substantive, picture-book biography in verse. Following the reggae legend from birth to death, the mostly chronological poems reveal a full portrait of the musician, moving from personal details to wider themes. In one poem, Marley's words about his father encompass slavery, his biracial heritage, and the African Diaspora: 'Papa is a white man so I've been told / My face a map of Africa in Europe's hold.' In another, he speaks about both his love for music and the social justice he hopes to inspire: 'We don't want to / Land in jail / All we want to do is wail / Be the voice of the voiceless / Bring some happiness and / Consciousness to the down-pressed.' In the words and rhythms of Jamaican patois, Medina's lyrical, direct lines make the most sense when read in tandem with the extensive appended notes, which explain the many specific references to Jamaican history, Rastafarianism, and Marley's life events. Like the words, Watson's beautifully expressive acrylic paintings evoke a strong sense of Marley's remarkable life and his Caribbean homeland. A short bibliography of adult titles rounds out this rare, soulful tribute. --Starred review, Booklist

In Love to Langston, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, 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. . . . 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. --Kirkus Reviews

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. . . . 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. --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Tony Medina is the author of Love to Langston, Christmas Makes Me Think, DeShawn Days, and I and I, published by Lee & Low Books. In addition, he has written a book for young adults, FYI: Follow-up Letters to Santa from Kids who Never Got a Response, five volumes of poetry for adults, been included in more than eighty publications, and edited several anthologies featuring the work of emerging poets. Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Howard University, Medina lives in the Washington, D.C., area.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (April 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600602576
• ISBN-13: 978-1600602573
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #616,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning artwork of a legend, May 19, 2009

By 

Cyan Dun - See all my reviews

This review is from: I and I Bob Marley (Hardcover)

Of the numerous Marley books out there, almost none of them depict Bob from the painter's eye. The work in this book is beautiful and I love how it traces Bob from boy to man. And my son just loves the pix as well. Some very powerful images here! Definitely at the top of my favorites in my collection of Marley books.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved the way this book makes the reader "feel" and sense the spirit of Bob Marley!, November 15, 2009

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I and I Bob Marley (Hardcover)

A child was born in the village of Nine Miles, Jamaica. People say that when he was born, "three little birds perched on the windowsill singing sweetly to the newborn." People said it was an omen and that this child would be blessed. As he grew people around him noticed that he was gifted in many ways and by the time he was five years old Nesta Robert Marley was reading palms in his grandfather's store. His father, a sixty-three-year-old white man, was said to have taken advantage of his young mother even though they did marry. He up and abandoned them soon after this special baby was born, but later came back to take him to become an "errand boy." It became Omeriah, his grandfather's job, to mentor and help raise him. His skin was light, his features European . . . his heritage was an embarrassment to him. Would his mother be able to get her son back? What would become of this special baby when he grew up, if he grew up?

"As I work in Granpapa's store
People come to me to
Read their palms

Mama says I'm special
She says I'm charmed
Like a prophet from the Bible

I just sit and smile
Glad to be her chile
Glad she's in my future . . ."

I loved the way this book makes the reader "feel" and sense the spirit of Bob Marley. This book is like a musical composition unto itself. The poetry provides the lyrics to Marley's life and the artwork provides the melody. Never really having known anything about him, I moved away from this book with a real sense of whom he was. The artwork is very vibrant, colorful, sweeping and quite appealing. In the back of the book the author's notes are, in reality, a short biography of the little boy from the Nine Miles to the Reggae artist with a song in his heart. This is a wonderful tribute to Marley and you might want to consider this book if you are a fan or simply want to know more about his life!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children, June 7, 2009

By 

Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu" (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: I and I Bob Marley (Hardcover)

Bob Marley, renowned musician, poet, and advocate, made lasting and invaluable contributions to society. His songwriting and musical performances, with their messages of equality and hope, contributed to the rapid spread of reggae music around the world and earned him numerous high-profile awards. His political and ethical views, deeply intertwined in his music, strengthened his international appeal and also turned him into one of Jamaica's leading advocates for social justice.

This outstanding collection of original poems and bold, expressive artwork pays tribute to Bob Marley and introduces younger readers to his early years and his subsequent growth into a successful musician and spiritual leader. Thoroughly ingrained in the text and illustrations are important economic themes related to extreme poverty, inequality between blacks and whites, and the various forces -- including talent, mentorship, and entrepreneurial zeal -- that can nurture professional development. It is this combination of informative content with dramatic story-telling media that makes I and I such a potent vehicle for teaching the next generation about an influential artist and social leader who spread his message of peace in a truly innovative way.