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by Emma Otheguy (Author), Beatriz Vidal (Illustrator)
A bilingual biography of José Martí, who dedicated his life to the promotion of liberty-- the abolishment of slavery, political independence for Cuba, and intellectual independence from colonialism--for all Latinos. Written in verse with excerpts from Martí's seminal work, Versos sencillos.
Una biografía bilingüe de José Martí, quien dedicó su vida a la promoción de la libertad: la abolición de la esclavitud, la independencia política de Cuba y la independencia intelectual del colonialismo para todos los latinoamericanos. Escrita en verso con fragmentos de su obra fundamental, Versos sencillos.
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma,
Y antes de morirme quiero
Echar mis versos del alma.
As a boy, José Martí was inspired by the natural world. He found freedom in the river that rushed to the sea and peace in the palmas reales that swayed in the wind. Freedom, he believed, was the inherent right of all men and women. But his home island of Cuba was colonized by Spain, and some of the people were enslaved by rich landowners. Enraged, Martí took up his pen and fought against this oppression through his writings. By age seventeen, he was declared an enemy of Spain and forced to leave his beloved island.
Martí traveled the world, speaking out for Cuba's independence. But throughout his exile, he suffered from illness and homesickness. He found solace in New York's Catskill Mountains, where nature inspired him once again to fight for independence.
Written in verse, with excerpts from Martí's seminal Versos sencillos, this book is a beautiful tribute to a brilliant political writer and courageous fighter of freedom for all men and women.
De niño, José Martí se inspiraba en la naturaleza. Encontraba libertad en el río que desembocaba en el mar y paz en las palmas reales que se mecían con el viento. Creía que la libertad era un derecho inherente a todos los hombres y mujeres. Pero su isla natal, Cuba, fue colonizada por España, y algunos de sus habitantes fueron esclavizados por terratenientes adinerados. Indignado, Martí tomó la pluma y luchó contra esta opresión a través de sus escritos. A los diecisiete años, fue declarado enemigo de España y obligado a abandonar su amada isla.
Martí viajó por el mundo, alzando la voz por la independencia de Cuba. Pero durante su exilio, sufrió de enfermedades y nostalgia. Encontró consuelo en las montañas Catskill de Nueva York, donde la naturaleza lo inspiró una vez más a luchar por la independencia.
Escrito en verso, con fragmentos de los Versos sencillos, obra fundamental de Martí, este libro es un hermoso homenaje a un brillante escritor político y un valiente luchador por la libertad de todos los hombres y mujeres.
Author Biography
Emma Otheguy made her authorial debut with Martí's Song for Freedom. She is the author of the picture books Martina Has Too Many Tías and A Sled for Gabo, as well as the early reader series Reina Ramos, and the middle-grade novels Cousins in the Time of Magic, Adventure in the City of Stories, and Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene. Visit her at emmaotheguy.com.
Beatriz Vidal is an award-winning painter and the illustrator of Marti's Song for Freedom/Marti y sus versos por la libertad from Lee & Low Books. Her artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions around the world, including the International Exhibition of Illustrations for Children in Italy and the Society of Illustrators in New York. Vidal lives with her family in Spain. You can visit her online at beatrizvidal.com.
