Looking for a beautiful last-minute gift for the Christmas stocking?  One that doesn't need batteries and will last beyond the first year of giving?  Then A Night the Starts Danced for Joy may be what you're looking for.

As the front cover and the title indicate, this book is the story of the birth of Jesus told from the shepherd's point of view.  The story opens with a shepherd, his wife and son lying on their backs atop a hill at the end of an exhausting day.  Those familiar with the Christmas story will pick up on Hartman's gentle hints of the story to come ...

 They just lay there ...and stared lazily into the night sky ...
 There were no clouds for shy stars to hide behind.  And the
 bolder stars?  For some reason, they seemed to be shining
 more proudly than any of the shepherds could remember.

Those not familiar with the Angel Gabriel's appearance to the shepherds, will simply be lead further into the story by these clues.

Seeing what they presume to be a falling star each shepherd makes a different wish.  The young shepherd innocently wishes for something exciting in his life to happen; the father wishes to be saved from the violence and greed of the Roman empire and the mother wishes for peace.  Although Hartman's text is a fairly traditional account of the Christmas story, his symbolism and references to the political climate of the times adds depth to the story, without distracting those who may be unfamiliar with these elements of the story.

Jonke's pastel illustrations are beautifully done.  His use of colour is reminiscent of the renaissance paintings of the birth of Christ; full of rich cobalt blues and deep golden hues.  He deftly captures the light of the clear starlit night and the illumination of the sky full of angels on the faces of the shepherds.

I enjoyed this retelling as I felt it added to my understanding of the Christmas story.  I recommend it as a peaceful family read on Christmas night, long after the batteries in the new toys have run down. 

Review by Sarah Mayor Cox

© 1999 Sarah Mayor Cox