Very nice to look at, and a great song, but the message and meaning will be largely lost on young readers.moreįorever Young is a song that Dylan wrote for his children 'not wanting to be too sentimental.' He fails miserably, as the song is poignant and a wonderful lesson to children of any age. I can’t count myself among those who advocate picture book gifts for young adults (unless they are aspiring children’s librarians), but that’s the audience that will be most in “Forever Young”s wheelhouse. I see this one getting a lot of looks come high school graduation time, as a new alternative to the “Oh the Places You’ll Go” buyers. Again, this section is telling of who the intended reader is. The illustrator is clearly a Dylan devotee, as evidenced by the section in the back where he describes the inspiration behind each and every illustration. It also may be the fist appearance of Eames furniture in a picture book. Brightly retro in style, Paul Rodgers art comes across as truly vibrant. The high point of this one is the illustration. At the end of the book our protagonist hands the guitar to a little girl, continuing the story. The child gets older, starts a band, protests against war, and works to save the environment. As the story continues, the lyrics of Dylan’s song stream by. This unnamed, blond haired boy takes the guitar and begins to practice. The story begins with a street performer handing an acoustic guitar to a young listener. “Forever Young” ain’t speaking to the little ones, but to an older audience who is both familiar with Bob Dylan’s music and understands the book’s message that youth is something to be cherished. When a book can speak to a particular child at a particular time in their life, the results can be meaningful. This unnamed, blond haired boy takes the A huge part of how successful a book is depends on its audience. A huge part of how successful a book is depends on its audience.

Forever young cover