WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE

Music icon Bob Dylan and acclaimed illustrator Scott Campbell team up in this delightful interpretation of Dylan’s 1970 song, “If Dogs Run Free”!

If dogs run free,
Why not we?

In this quirky, spirited interpretation of Bob Dylan’s 1970 song, “If Dogs Run Free,” illustrator Scott Campbell brings Dylan’s lyrics to life as a celebration of the freedom and creativity of childhood. Children of all ages will delight in the message, “Just do your thing!”

About The Author

Courtesy of the author

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan has released thirty-nine studio albums, which collectively have sold over 125 million copies around the world. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature and has been awarded the French Legion of Honor, a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor. His memoir, Chronicles: Volume One, spent a year on the New York Times bestseller list.

About The Illustrator

Photograph courtesy of the author

Scott Campbell

Scott Campbell’s paintings have appeared in numerous shows and publications around the world. He has created award-winning comics, such as “Igloo Head and Tree Head,” which appeared in the Flight anthology, and is the illustrator of Zombie in Love and Zombie in Love 2 + 1 by Kelly DiPucchio; East Dragon, West Dragon by Robyn Eversole; and If Dogs Run Free by Bob Dylan. He is the author and illustrator of Hug Machine. Scott lives in New York City. Visit him at PyramidCar.com.

Product Details

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (September 3, 2013)
Length: 40 pages
ISBN13: 9781451648805
Ages: 4 - 8

Raves and Reviews

"“If Dogs Run Free,” from the 1970 album New Morning, is Dylan’s version of a novelty song: a goof on a ’50s-style mashup of piano jazz and spoken word.... It inspires the talented Campbell (East Dragon, West Dragon) to create a benevolent, retro-ish watercolor universe of cross-species friendships and endlessly fun things to do, with a wide-eyed and inexhaustible girl, her younger brother, and their pet dog as ringleaders."

– Publishers Weekly, June 2013

"The lyrics to a 1970 Dylan song serve as the text for this quirky ode to children and dogs running free, doing their own thing. Through his appealing watercolor illustrations, Campbell has done a fine job creating a coherent, imaginative story from Dylan’s poetic lyrics...a satisfying tale, with undeniably cute canines and children running free and enjoying life, on their own like rolling stones."

– Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2013

"This illustrated version of a lesser-known Bob Dylan song focuses on the joys of a carefree childhood. A girl and her younger brother wander through their day, have adventures on the playground, make mischief at a swamp, and gaze at the night sky. Along the way, more and more dogs join their play...sweet, simple concept...humorous watercolor illustrations."

– School Library Journal, November 2013

"Bob Dylan fans will love this sweet interpretation of his canine-themed 1970’s hit, If Dogs Run Free. Kids will go nuts for Scott Campbell’s detailed illustrations, and all parents/babysitters/librarians/grandparents will appreciate the message: Just do what you love, the rest will follow."

– goop.com, January 2015