Book News
Dylan song turns children’s book.
Sterling Children’s Books has announced that it will publish a picture book inspired by Bob Dylan’s song “Man Gave Names to All the Animals.” Due out in September, the book will be illustrated by artist and naturalist Jim Arnosky and will come with a CD featuring Dylan’s original recording of the song.
Dylan released “Man Gave Names to All the Animals” in 1979 on “Show Train Coming,” the first of three albums inspired by the folk singer’s new-found Christian faith. Arnosky says he was inspired by Dylan’s nature-inspired lyrics in creating the book’s detailed images.
An excerpt from Dylan’s lyrics:
“He saw an animal leavin’ a muddy trail
Real dirty face and a curly tail
He wasn’t too small and he wasn’t too big
Ah, think I’ll call it a pig.”
Sterling Children’s Books, part of Barnes and Noble Inc., previously published a picture book of “Puff the Magic Dragon,” based on the song made popular by the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary.
First Lines
Fantasy in Death, by J.D. Robb
While swords of lightning slashed and stabbed murderously across the scarred shield of sky, Bart Minnock whistled his way home for the last time. Despite the battering rain, Bart’s mood bounced along with his cheerful tune as he shot his doorman a snappy salute.
“Howzit it going, Mr. Minnock?”
“It’s going up, Jackie. Going way uptown.”
“This rain could do the same, if you asked me.”
“What rain?” With a laugh, Bart sloshed his way in soaked skids to the elevator.
Thunder exploded across the island of Manhattan, midday commuters sulked under overpriced umbrellas bought from enterprising sidewalk hawkers and maxibuses spewed up walls of wet. But in Bart’s world the sun beamed in golden rays.
He had a date with the sexy CeeCee, which in itself was nothing to sneeze at for a self-proclaimed nerd who’d been a virgin until the somewhat embarrassing age of twenty-four.
Five years later, and largely because of the success of U-Play, he could have his pick from a bevy of eager women — even if the eager was mostly due to the money and media his company generated.
He didn’t mind.
He knew he was especially good-looking and accepted his own awkwardness in romantic situations. (Except for sexy CeeCee.) He didn’t know art or literature, didn’t know a good vintage from a bottle of home brew. What he knew were computers and games and the seduction of technology.
Mass market paperback best sellers
1. Dear John, by Nicholas Sparks
2. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
3. The Truth About Lord Stoneville, by Sabrina Jeffries
4. The Devil’s Punchbowl, by Greg Iles
5. Plum Spooky, by Janet Evanovich
6. Vanishing Act, by Fern Michaels
7. Black Ops, by W.E.B. Griffin
8. Fire and Ice, by Julie Garwood
9. Cross Country, by James Patterson
10. The Second ap, by Michael Palmer
Publishers Weekly
