I’m up early, really early, and on this particular morning that means I can write a post about Bob Dylan and Christoph won’t be around to put the squash to it.

You see, I’m a Dylan fan, and he’s not, or not much. This makes for difficult moments in the light of day, when things like car stereos and Pandora playlists are ripe for the picking. But in the early hours of the morning, before suns or husbands have yawned awake, I drink my coffee and pay tribute to my old crooning friend.

Dylan’s songs have traveled with me in every suitcase since I was 14. I’ve lived in a lot of places, strange places, and every time, Dylan has kept me steady, truing me towards home. And now, here he is with me in Florida, the most un-Dylan state in the Union, and his voice throws itself at me as if to see if it still has a spot in my heart.

It does.

Dylan for Kids

But good luck explaining all that to a kid.

To see what I mean, take a look at these little ones trying to make sense of one of Dylan’s most palatable songs of all:

Dylan Animated

Thankfully, there’s animation to raise its colorful flags and fight our cause. Dylan’s classic song “Forever Young” takes on new emotion—not necessarily richer emotion but definitely easier emotion—in the animated video below. Give it a play and you might be able to get kids to pay attention for more than 10 seconds.

And if they survive that video for longer than 30 seconds, I’d say you have a future Dylan fan on your hands! Hurry up and get that kid a tot-sized guitar! (Do not under any circumstances get that kid a harmonica unless you have a death wish). Also be sure to check out this great Dylan guitar lesson here.

Music to Gently Ease Your Child Towards a Love of Dylan:

Force-feeding Dylan on your poor kids (or your poor spouses) is sure to come out horribly wrong. One bad move and you’ll have an Ed Sheeran fan on your hands.

So instead, do them right and ease them into a lifelong love of folk music with some of these fantastic albums.

Can You Canoe by The Okee Dokee Brothers

These Grammy Award-winning duo will win your heart within one lyric. The darling humor of their music paired with their sweet-home bluegrass pluckings will carry you away. Since releasing this album, the two have gone on to create something of a hillbilly empire with multiple albums, books, and even films.

Available at Amazon | Apple Music