New Jersey rock legend Bruce Springsteen has written a children’s book based on his 2009 song “Outlaw Pete,” and the book will have the same name, The Guardian reported.
According to the book’s publishers, Simon & Schuster, said the book is “based on the celebrated song about a bank-robbing baby whose exploits become a meditation on sin, fate, and freewill.” Springsteen teamed up with cartoonist Frank Caruso to provide the book’s illustrations.
“When Bruce wrote ‘Outlaw Pete’ he didn’t just write a great song, he created a great character,” said Caruso. “Like Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Dorothy Gale and for me, even Popeye, Outlaw Pete cuts deep into the folklore of our country and weaves its way into the fabric of great American literary characters.”
The song that inspired the book appeared on Springsteen’s 2009 release, “Working on a Dream,” which was itself inspired the children’s book, “Brave Cowboy Bill.”
“Outlaw Pete is essentially the story of a man trying to outlive and outrun his sins,” said Springsteen.
Here’s the song that inspired the book:
Josh is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. Follow him on Twitter @dnJdeli.