Peter Yarrow will be at the Brattle Theatre Saturday, August 18, at 12 noon. The event is free and is presented by the The Harvard Coop Author Series and Passim Folk Music & Cultural Center. Tickets can be picked up at the Harvard Coop's first-floor information desk.

Folk musician Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, & Mary is releasing a children's book version of their famous song "Puff, the Magic Dragon." The book features dazzling illustrations from Eric Puybaret that puts a twist on the old song, and Yarrow throws in a CD with new versions of the song. Yarrow and his daughter Bethany will perform and sign copies of the new book.

This might seem like a kids-only event, but, given "Puff the Magic Dragon's" prominence in the drug culture, adults might feel perfectly welcome. In a recent interview with Gothamist, Yarrow tried valiantly to put a little distance between the "Magic" and the "Dragon": "I want to assure all of you who are reading this with all my heart and all of my sincerity that the intention of Puff was never anything other than to tell the story of a little boy who came to love a magic dragon, and they became best friends."

So let's just say that the whole puffing business is just one way for an adult to get a little closer to his or her inner child. Either that, or the sad ending of the song drove people to self-medication. Regarding the sad ending, the new picture book offers a twist on the song that makes life a little sweeter for Puff.

Eric Puybaret's interpretation of Puff, the Magic Dragon from the book's official website.