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Summary
Summary
An energetic 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. Soulful, sun-drenched illustrations transport young readers to Bob Marley's Jamaica, while uniquely perceptive poems bring to life his fascinating journey from boy to icon.
Author Notes
Tony Medina is a key figure in the current spoken-word poetry scene. He is the author of several collections of poems. He lives in New York City.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
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 entree 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 Lang-ston) 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) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Through seventeen poems, Medina tells the story of the reggae icon, starting and ending with his Jamaican roots ("I am the boy / From Nine Miles..."). The lyric-like pieces are thoughtful and adept; appended notes explain the biographical events on which the poems are based. Watson's acrylics capture Marley's public magnetism as well as private, introspective moments. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
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 soulas does this passionate collaboration. Detailed endnotes provide background, poem by poem. (Biography/poetry. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred 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.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2009 Booklist
