When Bob Met Woody

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Here at Teach Mentor Texts we are always looking for more ways to support teachers! We've found that teachers seem to be constantly on the lookout for great nonfiction. We know we are! To help with this undying quest for outstanding non-fiction, we are excited to participate in Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and The Nonfiction Detectives. Every Wednesday, you'll find a non-fiction review here - although it may not always be a picture book review. Please visit Kid Lit Frenzy and The Nonfiction Detectives to see what non-fiction others have to share, too.

Title: When Bob Met Woody: The Story of the Young Bob Dylan

Author: Gary Golio

Illustrator: Marc Burckhardt

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: May, 2011

Genre/Format: Biography/Picture Book

Goodreads Summary: "Hey hey, Woody Guthrie, I wrote you a song..." When Bob finished, Woody's face lit up like the sun. Bob Dylan is a musical icon, an American legend, and, quite simply, a poet. But before he became Bob Dylan, he was Bob Zimmerman, a kid from rural Minnesota. This lyrical and gorgeously illustrated picture book biography follows Bob as he renames himself after his favorite poet, Dylan Thomas, and leaves his mining town to pursue his love of music in New York City. There, he meets his folk music hero and future mentor, Woody Guthrie, changing his life forever.

What I Think: I grew up listening to Bob Dylan. His music was a major part of the soundtrack of my life and because of that he still has a special place in my heart. During my bachelor degree I wrote a paper analyzing the influence that Walt Whitman had on Woody Guthrie thus influencing Bob Dylan- this picture book brought me right back to that research and all of the amazing poetry and music that Dylan and Guthrie write/wrote. This picture book shares Bob's childhood as a journey to reach his dream and to meet his idol. It is told almost as a hero's journey- this book also shows that being your dream and meeting your hero are reachable. I loved the intertwining of Bob's lyrics and quotes bringing the history even more to life.  And to accentuate the inspiring story, Burckhardt's acrylic and oil realistic illustrations brings the book to a whole new level. 

Read Together: Grades 3 to 12

Read Alone: Grades 4 to 10

Read With: Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio, For What It's Worth by Janet Tashjian, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis and Brian Pinkney, John's Secret Dreams by Doreen Rappaport, Chronicles, Vol. 1 by Bob Dylan, Tarantula or other lyric/poetry books by Bob Dylan

Snatch of Text: "Now Bob yearned to write songs like Woody, to make people think and feel. He wanted so much to be like Woody that he pretended to be an orphan from Oklahoma, a runaway, a street singer who'd done his share of "hard travelin'."
All I got is my guitar and that little knapsack. That's all I need. -Bob Dylan" p. 25

Mentor Text for: Author's perspective, Lyrics/Poetry, Making Connections

Writing Prompts: Find one of Bob Dylan's earliest songs and read the lyrics. What part of his life do you think he is inspired by?; Read the lyrics of one of your favorite songs and then research the life of the songwriter. How do you think the writer's life impacted their lyrics?  

Topics Covered: Folk Music, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, 1940s-1960s, Dylan Thomas, Songwriting

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