Marti Y Sus Versos Por La Libertad: Marti's Song for Freedom (Bilingual English/Spanish)

by Emma Otheguy (Author) Beatriz Vidal (Illustrator)

Marti Y Sus Versos Por La Libertad: Marti's Song for Freedom (Bilingual English/Spanish)
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Here is a beautiful tribute to José Martí, written in verse with excerpts from his seminal work, Versos sencillos. He will always be remembered as a courageous fighter for freedom and peace among all men and women.

As a young boy, José Marti he traveled to the countryside of Cuba and fell in love with the natural beauty of the land. During this trip he also witnessed the cruelties of slavery on sugar plantations. From that moment, Martí began to fight for the abolishment of slavery and for Cuban independence from Spain through his writing. By age seventeen, he was declared an enemy of Spain and was forced to leave his beloved island. Marti traveled the world and eventually settled in New York City. 


He aquí un hermoso homenaje a José Martí, escrito en verso con extractos de su obra seminal, Versos sencillos. Siempre será recordado como un valiente luchador por la libertad y la paz entre todos los hombres y mujeres.

De joven, José Martí viajó al campo de Cuba y se enamoró de la belleza natural de la tierra. Durante este viaje también fue testigo de las crueldades de la esclavitud en las plantaciones de azúcar. A partir de ese momento, Martí comenzó a luchar por la abolición de la esclavitud y por la independencia de Cuba de España a través de su escritura. A los diecisiete años, fue declarado enemigo de España y obligado a abandonar su amada isla. Martí viajó por el mundo y finalmente se instaló en la ciudad de Nueva York.

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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Otheguy debuts with a bilingual story, written in gentle and measured verse, about activist Jose Marti, detailing his efforts to free Cuba from Spanish rule--and its people from slavery--by disseminating pamphlets and writing for newspapers. After being jailed and exiled to New York, Marti continued his campaign to liberate the Cuban people while finding solace in the Catskills: "the grass grew wild/ and seemed to whisper/ that Cuba still needed him." Vidal (Little Bek Longtail Learns to Sleep) uses a subtle folk art style in her detailed gouache illustrations, creating people who resemble terra-cotta figurines. Excerpts from Marti's Versos sencillos thoughtfully underscore this moving account of his crusade for justice. Ages 8-10. Author's agent: Adriana Dominguez, Full Circle Literary. (July)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5--The life of poet, writer, and freedom fighter Jose Marti (1853-95) comes alive in this lyrical, bilingual retelling of his everlasting impact on the people of his native Cuba. Growing up, Marti was an admirer of nature and fell in love with the beauty of the Cuban countryside. As he traveled the landscape, he observed the cruel enslavement of the Cuban people on sugar plantations during the period of Spanish rule. When he saw the injustice of slavery in his homeland, he knew he had to fight for Cuba's independence and the freedom of the island's people. Inspired by the U.S. Civil War, and President Abraham Lincoln, Marti called others to action and was jailed by the government for doing so. But not even imprisonment could silence him. Marti traveled extensively throughout the world, spreading his message of social justice, freedom, and peace. During his exile from Cuba, he found inspiration in the natural beauty of the Catskill Mountains in New York. Here he wrote Versos sencillos, a collection of poems that came to define the struggle for Cuban independence. Otheguy pens this biography in a series of stanzas that mimic Marti's poetry, weaving together his vision of hope for the Cuban people with rich illustrations that pay homage to the vivid hues of his native land. VERDICT A sensitive and poignant tribute to one of Latin America's most important historical figures that will encourage readers of all ages to fight for freedom and peace.--Natalie Braham, Denver Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780892393756
Lexile Measure
1000
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Children's Book Press (CA)
Publication date
July 20, 2017
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF007110 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Social Activists
JNF007030 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Literary
JNF007070 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Political
JNF025000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | General
Library of Congress categories
19th century
Spanish language materials
Bilingual
Cuba
Statesmen
Authors, Cuban
Revolutionaries
Martai, Josae

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