Bruce Springsteen is to release a children's book inspired by one of his songs.
The Boss will release Outlaw Pete on November 4. It features illustrations by writer and cartoonist Frank Caruso.
It is described by publishers Simon and Schuster as a book “about a bank-robbing baby whose exploits become a meditation on sin, fate, and free will.” The story is based on the song of the same name from Springsteen’s album Working on a Dream.
Caruso says: “When Bruce wrote Outlaw Pete he didn’t just write a great song, he created a great character. The first time I heard the song this book played out in my head.
“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.”
Jonathan Karp, president of Simon and Schuster, adds: “This book will be treasured by anyone who appreciates Bruce Springsteen’s unique gifts as a storyteller. Frank Caruso’s illustrations vibrantly capture the spirit of Springsteen’s work.”
