Title for Tuesday – Cloddia’s Desert Dance
Christmas is less than a month away. My son has already put up the tree in his bedroom, but we haven’t yet started decorating the rest of the house.
One of the decorations that I most look forward to getting out each year is the hand-painted ceramic nativity set my Aunt Maria made for me when I graduated from high school. My father built a beautiful wooden stable with a shingled roof and shuttered windows that open and close to display it in. I appreciate the details my aunt lovingly added to each piece. I’ve always been especially fond of the camels. They have color-coordinated saddle blankets that match the robes of the three wise men, so you know which camel belongs to each king.
Thoughts of camels brings me to a new picture book I just read,
Cloddia’s Desert Dance: A Story of Finding Your Place
by Carol Schafer. Cloddia is a content camel who lives with a herd of other camels at a desert oasis. Each night, Cloddia feels compelled to dance under the stars, though she can’t explain why.
One day, a caravan brings a new camel, Spits, to the herd. Spits dreams of being a racing camel, and he spends each day training by running across the desert. Spits and Cloddia seem to constantly irritate each other. He can’t understand why Cloddia wastes her time dancing every night, and she can’t understand why he runs every day.
Their relationship changes when they get caught in a sand storm together. It dawns on Cloddia that she dances because dancing is her gift. She dances as an expression of love to her Creator. She recognizes that Spits runs for the same reason. They discover that, though they have different gifts, they’re more alike than they realized.
This book is a bit longer than most picture books. But the story is engaging, and children will love the delightful illustrations of Cloddia’s playful dancing and Spits’ intense training runs. This story also provides an excellent opportunity for adults to help children identify their unique gifts.
One of the decorations that I most look forward to getting out each year is the hand-painted ceramic nativity set my Aunt Maria made for me when I graduated from high school. My father built a beautiful wooden stable with a shingled roof and shuttered windows that open and close to display it in. I appreciate the details my aunt lovingly added to each piece. I’ve always been especially fond of the camels. They have color-coordinated saddle blankets that match the robes of the three wise men, so you know which camel belongs to each king.
Thoughts of camels brings me to a new picture book I just read,
Cloddia’s Desert Dance: A Story of Finding Your Place
by Carol Schafer. Cloddia is a content camel who lives with a herd of other camels at a desert oasis. Each night, Cloddia feels compelled to dance under the stars, though she can’t explain why.One day, a caravan brings a new camel, Spits, to the herd. Spits dreams of being a racing camel, and he spends each day training by running across the desert. Spits and Cloddia seem to constantly irritate each other. He can’t understand why Cloddia wastes her time dancing every night, and she can’t understand why he runs every day.
Their relationship changes when they get caught in a sand storm together. It dawns on Cloddia that she dances because dancing is her gift. She dances as an expression of love to her Creator. She recognizes that Spits runs for the same reason. They discover that, though they have different gifts, they’re more alike than they realized.
This book is a bit longer than most picture books. But the story is engaging, and children will love the delightful illustrations of Cloddia’s playful dancing and Spits’ intense training runs. This story also provides an excellent opportunity for adults to help children identify their unique gifts.
Paperback, 34 pages
Word Alive Press, September 2016
ISBN 978-1486605989
SRP $13.99
Ages 5-10
Written by Carol Schafer
Illustrated by Alison Schafer Pahl
Disclaimer: The author provided a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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