Reviews

Dance in the Desert by Madeleine L'Engle, Symeon Shimin

taxideadaisy's review

4.0

Lovely and unusual "children's Christmas story"

spilled's review

3.0

Every new library I go to I look to see if they have anything by [a:Madeleine L'Engle|106|Madeleine L'Engle|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1305256804p2/106.jpg] and [a:Dorothy Gilman|61934|Dorothy Gilman|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235406763p2/61934.jpg] that I haven't read yet. So when I found a new L'Engle book, I was intrigued. But it left me wanting — usually in her other books I can love the story and the mystery and just not pay too much attention to the new cosmology Christianity in the allegories. All the animals in the desert come upon a boy traveling with his parents and instead of eating him, they dance! And then bow to him! Words like "sparkling" and "unicorn" are used. A younger me would have loved this book, I think. Right now in my life it's just too fantastical.

hopeevey's review

4.0

This is a beautiful Christian allegory. Not being Christian myself, it's not as touching to me as it would be to a Christian. That being said, this reads like a fairy tale, showing the nature and power of the Christ child. It even hints at Mary's virginity, by having the Unicorn drawn to her.

This would be a wonderful gift for a Christian family with small children.