John Denver (1943–1997)

Long a fan of John Denver's music, this book immediately held my interest. John Denver wrote this before he became well known. It was a song written regarding a young love, a girl named Bobbie. Now, in children's illustrated book form, it becomes a loe song for a baby, a wee little one that holds the heart and doesn't let go.

The illustrations are incredible! And, the poem is just simply lovely.

For me, this is one of the essential Christmas CDs. John Denver's voice is so expressive that he brings the songs to life. there are a number of new songs for me.

Aspenglow is perfect to open the collection. It evokes everything that John Denver represents. Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas is well done, but makes me sad this happens during such a happy time; the country twang makes it clear what genre it fits in. I don't think I got the full impact of Christmas for Cowboys until I show more moved to the Texas Panhandle and saw for myself the wide open plains and the glory of the stars. A Baby Just Like you is a song every parent can relate to.

Of the traditional songs, I really enjoyed the playfulness in Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer. The tenderness in John Denver's voice is palpable as he sings Away in a Manger. He sings O Holy Night and makes it sound effortless. There truly isn't a bad recording on this collection.

If you are a John Denver fan, I feel sure you already have this CD; if you don't, what are you waiting for? If you enjoy Christmas music, this is one I think should have as long as a hint of country is okay with you. show less

There was not a bigger John Denver fan out there than I was. I saw him in concert numerous times and even met him in person once. His music defined my teenage years, and I still find immense comfort listening to his music. I was so excited when this book came out and bought it immediately. It's good, but it does paint John in a different light than his music does. In places, he even comes across as a bit arrogant. His infidelities so early in his first marriage particularly disturbed me. He show more makes Annie seem like a shallow socialite, but that is not the impression I get at all from her interviews. I had to remind myself that we are only seeing one side of that divorce; I'm sure Annie could tell a different story. He says they remained friends, but I just don't know. Perhaps there was some self-justification going on in the book? I would like to have read more about his personal life and less about his environmental concerns (while important, I already knew about those). Still, I've read the book twice and enjoyed it both times. I wish he were still alive; it was a sad day when we lost him. show less

The book itself is fairly dull and not extraordinarily well-written, which is a bit of a shame given how beautiful and poignant many of John Denver's lyrics are... Still, despite not living his personal story, I still appreciate his songs, and the inspiration behind much of his music: nature, both human and wild.