Synopsis
Whimsical and witty, “Man Gave Names to All the Animals” first appeared on Bob Dylan's album Slow Train Coming in 1979. Illustrator Jim Arnosky has now crafted a stunning picture book adaptation of Dylan's song that's a treat for both children and adults, with breathtaking images of more than 170 animals plus a CD of Dylan's original recording.
The revered musical legend rarely allows his songs to be illustrated, and Arnosky has done the song proud with a parade of spectacular creatures ready to receive their names-until the surprise ending, when children get to name an animal themselves!
Reviews
PreS-Gr 2–Through vivid paintings of a primeval planet teeming with wildlife, Arnosky translates Dylan's 1979 song about the naming of Earth's animals into a gorgeous picture book. Full lyrics and a CD of the original song are included. In Dylan's narrative, Man takes note of the characteristics of various animals, including a bear, cow, bull, pig, and sheep, and determines a name for each creature. "He saw an animal that liked to growl,/Big furry paws and he liked to howl,/Great big furry back and furry hair./‘Ah, think I'll call it a bear.'" Children will have to supply the name for the final animal as he slithers away. Rather than the expected spotted cow and rosy pink pig, Arnosky features the burly undomesticated beasts that would have roamed during the earlier days of humankind. But the paintings are not without their dose of whimsy. Crocodiles and dolphins swim side by side and penguins line up beside a tiger, rhino, toucan, and other wildlife from various habitats. The effect is entirely in keeping with the imagined world of Dylan's lyrics. A list of 170 species appears in the back of the book, with hints on locating each creature on Arnosky's website. Beautifully printed with embossed cover and a surprise image beneath the dust jacket, this book will jump off library shelves and make a great keepsake for personal libraries as well. With its broad appeal to spiritual, scientific, and just plain animal-loving audiences, this book is a winner.Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI
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If you have the earlier version of this book (Man Gave Names to All the Animals, 1999, illustrated by Scott Menchin), you might ask yourself why you would need this new rendition. The words do remain the same, but the illustrations couldn’t be more different. While Menchin’s spare cartoon style used barnyard animals to stand in for the animals listed in Dylan’s song, Arnosky uses his lush, realistic pencil and acrylics to depict animals in the wild. Only six creatures are named in the song (bear, cow, bull, pig, sheep, snake); however, Arnosky features more than 170 in various groupings, some in their natural habitats while others pose with creatures with which they would not coexist. Ninety-six of the creatures are listed at the back of the book with a challenge to find them on the pages. A CD of Dylan’s original recording is nicely tucked away inside the back cover. For a contrasting animal song in picture-book format, check out Tom Paxton’s The Animals’ Lullaby (1993). Preschool-Grade 2. --Randall Enos
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