Dance in the Desert (revised edition)

by Madeleine L'Engle, Khoa Le (Illustrator)

Overview

A classic picture book from the renowned bestselling author of A Wrinkle in Time is back in print after 55 years, featuring new art and abridged text. Madeleine L’Engle fans rejoice!

Once there was a night in the desert when nobody was afraid and everybody danced...

This touching story follows a refugee family facing an impossible journey across dangerous terrain and the community that generously helps them along the way. Drawing inspiration from the Holy Family's exodus from Bethlehem to Egypt, this revised edition of Dance in the Desert remains timeless in its thoughts on perseverance, peace, and generosity.

Complete with new illustrations from artist Khoa Le, this picture book is a memorable story of family, hope, and community that serves as a guiding light in uncertain times.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374391287
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	10/21/2025
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) was the Newbery Medal-winning author of more than 60 books, including the much-loved A Wrinkle in Time. Born in 1918, L'Engle grew up in New York City, Switzerland, South Carolina and Massachusetts. Her father was a reporter and her mother had studied to be a pianist, and their house was always full of musicians and theater people. L'Engle graduated cum laude from Smith College, then returned to New York to work in the theater. While touring with a play, she wrote her first book, The Small Rain, originally published in 1945. She met her future husband, Hugh Franklin, when they both appeared in The Cherry Orchard. Upon becoming Mrs. Franklin, L'Engle gave up the stage in favor of the typewriter. In the years her three children were growing up, she wrote four more novels. Hugh Franklin temporarily retired from the theater, and the family moved to western Connecticut and for ten years ran a general store. Her book Meet the Austins, an American Library Association Notable Children's Book of 1960, was based on this experience. Her science fantasy classic A Wrinkle in Time was awarded the 1963 Newbery Medal. Two companion novels, A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet (a Newbery Honor book), complete what has come to be known as The Time Trilogy, a series that continues to grow in popularity with a new generation of readers. Her 1980 book A Ring of Endless Light won the Newbery Honor. L'Engle passed away in 2007 in Litchfield, Connecticut.

Date of Birth:

January 12, 1918

Date of Death:

September 6, 2007

Place of Birth:

New York, NY

Place of Death:

Litchfield, CT

Education:

Smith College, 1941

Editorial Reviews

"Le’s ethereal illustrations evoke both beauty and whimsy as beasts and birds cavort upon the sand. The result will please both parochial and secular readers...Take a turn beneath the stars with this gently spiritual paean to the power and pleasure of dancing without fear." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher