Adapted by Cedella Marley | Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Disclaimer: I am not an expert in the technical aspects of this book. The experts are the book creators. My reviews are my opinions.
Life has moments that open your eyes to great opportunities that may seem obvious in retrospect. One of those opportunities is gifting picture books during baby showers. A dear friend gave this book to me during my first pregnancy. Before my son could talk, he would bob his little head as we sang the chorus. It quickly became one of our favorite books to read together. Now, I aim to gift at least one picture book to soon-to-be-parent(s)…of course, in addition to what is on their baby registry.
I don’t think I fully understood or appreciated why they adapted the song to make this book until I did this review. Now, I love this picture book even more.
Summary, “Bob Marley’s music is known the world over for its powerful message of love, peace, and harmony. Every family will relate to the universal story of one boy who won’t let anything get him down. especially with the help and encouragement from his family, friends, and three very special little birds!”
Tech Notes
Theme: Don’t worry, everything is going to be okay.
Point of View: 1st person. At times the chorus mentions “you” but the main character is explaining what the birds are singing.
Tense: Present tense
Internal Journey: Believing that everything will be all right.
External Journey: Going through the day, interacting with others, overcoming worrisome challenges.
Story Arc: Man in the hole.
Story Structure: Circular as the story begins and ends almost in the same place. Also, the story is very symmetrical. The exposition is the chorus. The rising action is the 1st scene. The climax is the 2nd scene. The falling action is the 3rd scene. The denouement is the chorus, tying the ending to the beginning. Also, the theme of not worrying about a thing is placed between each scene.
Story Start | End: The story begins and ends with an action.
Plot type: Series of events where the main character eventually discovers something.
Pacing: The chorus quickens the pace because you want to sing it. The added scenes slow the pace because they make you slow down to understand what is happening.
Dialogue: None, unless you count the birds singing the message.
Illustration: The illustrator used mixed media. I love how a few real pics of Bob Marley, newspaper clippings, definitions of happy, delight, and art were woven into the story. Newspaper clippings seem to be the illustrator’s signature.
G.P. Bell | Children's Book Author 