Skip to main content
Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Who is Bob Dylan

Who is Bob Dylan

by, Jim O' Connor, Illustrated by, John O'Brien
New York, New York, Grosset & Dunlap
102 pages, Chapter Book

As a product of the 60's, surrounded by HUGE fans of Bob Dylan, I felt it was my duty to review this children's biography of Bob Dylan.  I also hoped it would help me understand what makes him so interesting to so many people, and where the inspiration for his music came from.  I also really liked the drawing of Dylan on the cover

We learn that Bob was born Robert Zimmerman.  At an early age he became interested in music and taught himself to play the piano and the guitar, after just one lesson from his teacher.  He was inspired by artists such as Little Richard, with his flamboyant style and musical skill.  Once he became older, and went off to college, he spent as much time as he could honing his musical skills and becoming more well known around town.  As he became more famous, he became instrumental in the Civil Rights movement writing and singing songs, that inspired those fighting against racial injustice.  His famous song, "Blowin' in the Wind" is about those battles.  The meaning of the song, is that the answers we're looking for are sometimes right in front of us, if we just look.  After a life of writing music, performing and inspiring countless people, he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2012. 

The biography is well-written for children, as it doesn't go into much detail, but gives enough information to make it interesting for the young reader.  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Review: I Hate Everything!

  I Hate Everything! By Sophy Henn  New York: Beach Lane Books, 2025. Picture Book.  Two ghosts are floating atop a solid colored background. The first one yells, “I HATE EVERYTHING!” The second ghost responds, “Really?” Thus, begins the conversation which helps the first ghost realize that they don’t actually hate everything. This is a great picture book that is all about feelings and ghosts. The simple speech bubbles will allow even young preschoolers to understand what is happening. The illustrations though simple, have clever bits that readers will laugh out loud at. Basically, this is a brilliant book that every young reader who is mad at the world (or who knows someone who seems to be mad at the world) should read.

Review: The Library in the Woods

  The Library in the Woods Written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie Minneapolis, MN : Carolrhoda Books, 2025. Picture Book. I am always intrigued by picture books that tell stories from the past in beautiful and meaningful ways, leaving the reader educated, and also hopeful and inspired. This book definitely did that for me! The cover is a beautiful peek into the story waiting on the pages. Junior and his family have lived on a farm that is having a hard time producing what it needs to for the family to survive economically. The parents make the hard decision to move away from the farm and into the city. Junior misses a lot of things about his life in the country. However, when Junior's friends tell him about a library in the woods, things change for him in the best way! He is amazed by the seemingly endless collection of books, and is eager to check some out for his family. Junior excitedly borrows a few books, including one about a farmer for his dad ...