I admit, I feel just a little bit cool when my little girls walk into a store or a friend's house, hear the radio, and immediately say, Hey! It's Bob Dylan! So when I learned that one of his old tunes had been made into a brand new children's book, I of course couldn't wait to see it. Man Gave Names to All the Animals
does not disappoint, whether you're a Dylan fan, or just like gorgeous
illustrated books that children can loose themselves in. The simple,
rhyming lyrics about cows and pigs and bulls that the singer penned in
1979 make for a perfectly interactive storybook. I see it as along the
same lines as Is Your Mama A Llama?, another favorite around here.
Artist and naturalist Jim Arnosky's evocative, vibrant illustrations
turn each page into an educational experience; kids as young as two will
have fun naming each of the 160 animals, while older kids can try and differentiate
among the baboons, the chimps and the orangutangs.
I'd imagine this book (and the free CD of the song) will be a hit for all sorts of kids. Whether or not they know Maggie's Farm from Old MacDonald's Farm. -Liz
