Ziggy Marley and his wife, Orly Marley, have a new children’s book, Little John Crow, which is meant to stress the importance of identity. The Reggae singer tells PEOPLE exclusively that his kids served as his inspiration to write the tale.
“It is important that children coming up be able to be themselves and to not be afraid of that,” Ziggy shares with the media source. “Also, to understand that the people who truly love them will accept them for who they are,” Marley says of the story. “I think it’s important that kids understand that message.”
Little John Crow is the story of a vulture who initially faces rejection after his animal friends discover he is a scavenger by nature. It takes a few twists and turns before the vulture’s circle of friends sees the value he brings to the community.
The pandemic sparked the inspiration for Ziggy and Orly to write their latest children’s book. It was during the worldwide crisis that the Reggae singer, who is typically booked for tours throughout the year, stayed home with more time to spend with his kids.
“It’s the most time we’ve spent together as a family, ever,” Ziggy Marley tells PEOPLE. “Me, as a parent, it’s the first kind of chance for me to get to know my kids more than I did before,” the celebrity father shares. “I would never have had this experience with them if it wasn’t for the pandemic,” Marley shares. “So we took the pandemic and found positive things in it.”
Ziggy Marley further explains, “The positive thing I’ve found was that I learned so much about these kids, not just as my children, but as human beings: Their character, who they are. We learned from each other by spending so much time with them. We take that as a blessing.”
You can purchase Little John Crow in bookstores nationwide.
Photo: Ziggy Marley/Instagram
