Cedella Marley Shares Her Story As A Migrant Kid In New Children’s Book
Cedella Marley, the daughter of Reggae legend Bob Marley and Rita Marley, and the mother of Skip Marley has shared her story growing up as a migrant kid in Delaware by way of a new children’s book.
The new publication, titled Marley And The Family Band, which was written by Cedella Marley and New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste and illustrated by Tiffany Rose, is a picture book that celebrates music, love, and family. It’s a poetic story about a young girl who moves to a new country and learns to make friends, which was inspired by Cedella’s childhood experience.
“[The book] chronicles my life when we moved to Delaware, we came from Jamaica and moved to Wilmington, Delaware when I was a young girl,” Cedella told CBS News in an interview on Friday. “And I just wanted to share that experience of being a migrant kid at the time and bringing music to the neighborhood,” she continued. “It’s also a shout out to the unifying power of music as well as the importance of migration stories for children like myself and others.”
The link between the Marley family and Delaware was established by Bob’s mother Cedella Booker, who remarried and settled in Wilmington. Three of Bob’s children reportedly lived with Booker and attended city schools.
In the book, the main character Marley, after settling into her new community with her family and musician dad, came up with a brilliant idea to help her and her siblings make friends. She would plan an outdoor concert for the whole neighborhood. But when the weather ruins their plans, she discovers help in the most unlikely places, as her new neighbors quickly become the kindest of friends. The story assures children that nothing can stop the music as long as they have community.
Cedella Marley, 54, said the storyline is a close reflection of how life unfolded for her at the time. “Well with her [Marley] moving there [to Delaware] and just trying to bring the neighborhood together and what she was really good at was music and so that is her unifier.”
“Its like ‘let me get the neighborhood together and I want to put on a concert and we’re gonna have a bash’ and that’s me too in a nutshell,” Cedella said. “If I go somewhere and people kind of feel down or whatever, I’m like ‘lets put on some music and lets have a good time’.”
The Grammy-award-winning singer, formerly of the Melody Makers further disclosed that she has her sights set on bringing a little bit of Jamaica to your television screens. The new book Marley And The Family Band is currently in the works of becoming an animated series.
“I partnered with Lion Forge [Comics], I really love this team and we had like a good pow wow meeting just last week,” she said. “And we’re talking about Marley and the different characters which really are my brothers and sister but I renamed them in this book.”
“I’m just looking forward to bringing that to the screen, is like I’m bringing a little bit of Jamaica to TV, to your tablets, to your phone, you know however you [want] to watch it. But she’s coming and she’s coming in hard,” she said proudly.
Already, Cedella’s new book has created some buzz among critics.
“A well-played serenade to the power of kindness and community, “cited the Kirkus Reviews, while Publishers Weekly described it as “Buoyant … a sense of unsinkable community.”
L.A. Parent wrote, “Cedella Marley’s newest children’s book contributes to the legacy of her father, Bob Marley, and showcases the power of unity and family.”
Cedella has authored several other children’s books inspired by her father Bob Marley and his renowned songs, namely The Boy From Nine Miles (The Early Life Of Bob Marley), Every Little Thing, One Love, and Get Up Stand Up.
In addition, she has a cookbook, Cooking With Herb (75 Recipes For The Marley Natural Lifestyle), and others, Redemption (Reflections on Creating a Better World), The Healer’s Way: Bringing Hands-On Compassion To A Love-Starved World, 56 Thoughts from 56 Hope Road: The Sayings and Psalms of Bob Marley, and Bob Marley My Son,
Her famous brother Ziggy Marley has also ventured into writing, authoring the children’s books I Love You Too, Music Is In Everything, Little John Crow and My Dog Romeo, along with others Marajuanaman, The Kebra Nagast, Bob Marley – Portrait Of The Legend and a cookbook, Ziggy Marley and Family Cookbook.
Mother, Rita Marley has publications of her own, namely My Life With Bob Marley: No Woman No Cry and a cookbook Harambe For The Holidays: Vibrant Holiday Cooking With Rita Marley.