The Dancing Man - Hardcover

Bornstein, Ruth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395834295 ISBN 13: 9780395834299

Publisher: Clarion Books, 1998

Synopsis

This beloved picture book is celebrating its twentieth birthday with a new edition, completely reillustrated in full color by the author. In this wise, eloquent story with the timeless resonance of a folk tale, an orphan boy named Joseph receives a pair of silver shoes and with them the power to dance joy and hope into the lives of others. Joseph dances his way through the world until it is time to pass the shoes-and the dancing man's destiny-to another boy. The text is ably complemented by radiant pastel drawings, bringing this fable about the rejuvenating power of art to a new generation of young readers.

About this title

About the Author

Ruth Lercher Bornstein has written and illustrated numerous books for Clarion, including THE DANCING MAN, LITTLE GORRILA, RABBIT'S GOOD NEWS, and most recently THAT'S HOW IT IS WHEN WE DRAW. A painter and longtime folk dancer, Ruth lives in Santa Monica, California.

Reviews

Grade 1-3AFirst published in 1978 with somber pencil drawings and in a smaller format, this newly illustrated edition brings color and lightness to a picture book that pays tribute to the joy of dance and the pursuit of a dream. Young Joseph, an orphan in a poor and gloomy Baltic village, wants nothing more than to dance. The mysterious elderly man he meets by the shore gives him a pair of silver shoes; when he grows into them, they give him the courage to set out along the dusty road "even as far as the southernmost sea." He dances over the years for solemn villagers, an ailing child, a weary peddler until he, too, feels weariness in his bones. Finally reaching his ultimate destination, he meets a young boy and bequeaths his unique footwear to the next generation. The lyrical text is unchanged from the original. It is spare and graceful and successfully conveys the ability of dance to capture the magic in the ordinary. The oil pastels fill double-page spreads and bring rich and vibrant colors to Joseph's odyssey, from the deep blues of the night to the orange and pink of the setting sun. There's a slight change in perspective that increases proximity to the people Joseph meets along the way, inviting readers into each encounter. From Joseph's open-armed welcome on the cover to the cyclical satisfaction of the conclusion, young listeners will experience the wonder and power of this art form.ACarol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0395834295
• ISBN 13: 9780395834299
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32