Age Recomendation: 9 or 10 and up (these ages not mandatory. These ages will probably take most intrest in this book.

 Juan was born to a rich family as a slave. He learned his letters, a thing many slaves couldnot do, and was rather well treated. But one day, a plague from a ship from Africa swept over Sevile. His owners died, leaving him and their other possetions to their nephew Diego Velázquez. After a long journey, he pases from the care of a monk to a spanish magistrate to a wiked gypsy master. Finally, he arrives at the best home he’s ever had: the house and studio of Diego Velázquez, the famous artist. He ground paint, stretched and oiled canvases of fabric, and mixed paint. Eventually, Velázquez was asked to take in two Aprentices. Then, one day, the king brings Velázquez to a studio in his royal palace! He soon becomes a favorite. Then, Juan and Velázquez go to Italy! But when they came back, Velázquez younger daughter has died. Sometime later, they must go to again. But Velázquez already had had a bad experience on the first ride. One day, Velázquez is trying to walk when his hand crashes into the wall and gets swollen. When they land and a doctor says his hand must be amputated, Juan runs to the nearest Church and prays . When he goes back, Diego’s hand healed!

In Italy, he paints many men, even the pope! Sometime after he comes back, a man from Seville, Juan’s hometown, comes to learn from Velázquez. Jan had already made sketches, but one dayhe painted Mary as an african . Teribly frightend he just has to spill the beans to the Sevillian, whos name was Bartolomé. But, though laws say blacks may not paint, Bartolomé loves it. Then, one day after Bartolomé left, he has an idea for a one-to-a million shot at freedom. He paints three of the kings favorite hunting hounds and puts it in the stack of paintings for the king to look at. One day he picks up the one he made and tells Velázquez and the king! But Velázquez does what he hoped: he makes him free. He marys newly-freed Lollis, one of the other house slaves. But one day Velázquez’s wife dies and then Velázquez. Juan and Lollis move to Bartolomé’s studio in Sevile.

Some day, I thought, when we finished work, and sit to take a glass of wine together – Some day when our wives whispered and roked children to sleep in the upper rooms – I would say ” Bartolomé, master Velázquez freed me. I am no longer a slave.” And he would say, ” So? My good friend.” He would be glad for me. And I would be glad that to him it never mattered, for his freindship was of the heart. (Quote from I, Juan de Pareja)