The Dancing Man

by Ruth Lercher Bornstein

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.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 1975

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many ways does the world dance? This book showed me how the world is beautiful if I only stopped long enough to take note of it. I received this book as a gift when I was ten. The magic of it stays with me still.

[Debbie Hayes-miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

CIP summary: " Wearing his special silver shoes, young Joseph sets out to dance with the world." This is a wonderful book with bright colorful watercolor illustrations. A young boy puts on magical silver shoes and spreads happiness around the world as he dances from village to village.

[Felicity The Magnificent · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book there was a boy who saw a dancing man. He gave the boy his silver shoes, and he danced all around the world. And then he found another boy, and he gave that boy his hat. And then he danced all around the world. I like this book because they were dancing. -by Felicity