Man Gave Names to All the Animals - Bob Dylan

Illustrated by Jim Arnosky
Sterling, 2010
$17.95 - with CD of Dylan singing the song
32 pages
Endpapers - a gorgeous green wash

The 170+ animals drawn in this magical book completely cover each page in spectacular color. Mr. Arnosky can certainly paint animals! Kids will spend hours pouring over every double-page spread. And they can do it while listening to the song.

"Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning,
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago."

Dylan wrote the song in 1979. Why don't I seem to know it?

There are lots of beautiful picture books being produced right now to accompany special songs. (My favorite is still It's a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong's song, illustrated by Ashley Bryan). Think Let There Be Peace on Earth, The Marvelous Toy, All God's Critters, and Forever Young.

Forever Young - Bob Dylan

Illustrator: Paul Rogers
For: Everyone, especially aging hippies
Published: Sept 23, 2008
Rating: 5 Now on my WISH LIST
Read: Oct. 5, 2008
Endpapers: White: FRONT has an illustration of Dylan with a sign: "Dig Yourself", BACK is the rear of a red VW bug (seen in the book) with bumper sticker: "Don't Look Back"

I want a poster of this book.

As we read the lyrics to this well-known song, we are treated to illustrations that not only follow Dylan's life, but are full of details and tidbids of many of his other songs and the times. Depicted are the famous places of the 60's folk scene, as wll as some of the personages. Nostaligic but not old-fashioned, I poured over the illustrations with gusto (or at least as much gusto as can be displayed in a busy Borders' cafe).

There's lots of negative white space surrounding the illustrations (which I usually don't like), but it works beautifully. This is for sure going to be on my wish list - and I'm writing to Atheneum/Simon and Schuster to see about a poster. They should have included a CD!

Mmmmmmm mmmmmmm good.