Certain Poor Shepherds

October 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-Rather than the expected humans and their crooks, the certain poor shepherds of this story are Ima and Lila, a goat and dog, respectively. Ima, the nurturer, tends to the flock by guiding them to safe paths and finding the good plants for grazing. Lila's large size makes her the ideal herder and protector from predators. Both share lonely, melancholy pasts of being separated from their own families, as well as a powerful urge to follow a host of angels that arrive with a scent emitted from a star that appears in the sky. The rest of the Nativity serves more as a plot point, as Ima and Lila meet some harrowing adventures on their journey to Bethlehem with the flock in tow: from encounters with angels, who are portrayed less as divine and celestial and more as winged beings prone to hunger and sickness, to dealings with the caravan of the Three Kings, one of whom travels with huntsmen. Illustrations, similar in style to that of printed prayer cards, appropriately capture the story's tone. VERDICT Not a typical Christmas story of a peaceful, silent night, but themes of friendship and duty shine through.-Joanna Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

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Starred review from July 1, 2015
A tale of friendship between a dog and a goat interweaves Nativity mythology and scientific animal facts. "On the first Christmas, so say the Christians, a redeemer was born to save our kind from the consequences of our greed, waste, pride, cruelty, and arrogance. No redeemer appeared for the animals," begins the prologue. It goes on: "There were, however, a few animals who were profoundly influenced by the events in Bethlehem....This is their story." Ima the goat and Lila the dog were both torn from their animal families and drafted into service as shepherds for the flock of a poor, rough man and his family. The man barely notices a new, dazzling star, so evident to the canine and hircine shepherds. When Lila feels compelled to follow the star, loyal Ima and the sheep follow. The animals' sensitive noses tell them that angels-portrayed as humans with enormous, birdlike wings-smell partly of star, and the dog eventually detects the scent of amniotic fluid in a stable. The story is far from sentimental, with unflinching demonstrations of the human faults listed in the prologue, including poor treatment of animals and humans. The prose is simple and elegant. Harsh elements are balanced by tenderness and gentle humor, and there is an uplifting ending for the dual protagonists. An affecting, well-spun tale that will especially resonate with animal lovers. (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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November 4, 1996
Marshall applies her knowledge of the animal world (The Secret Life of Dogs) and her fictional skills (Reindeer Moon) to a rich reimagining of the Nativity story. Her pilgrims are a wise goat named Ima and a huge warrior sheepdog , Lila. They are on the mountain guarding a herd of sheep when the star appears, and they immediately sense divinity in the air. Later, they see a flock of angels invisible to their master. Struck by inspiration, they follow the star to Bethlehem, where Lila witnesses the scene at the manger. Many other animals appear in the narrative--camels, a cheetah, other dogs, a gazelle--giving Marshall an opportunity to represent natural creatures interacting and cherishing their freedom, which to animals is a form of grace. After Ima and Lila experience several dangerous adventures, an uplifting ending, in which they are rewarded by an angel whom Ima had saved from an eagle, probably will elicit some happy tears. The deliberately simple but well-honed prose makes this story suitable for family reading, and Marshall's attribution of human thoughts and emotions to her animal characters should delight sentimentalists. But the epilogue, in which Marshall muses that "perhaps our hope of redemption lies in the fact that we are animals, not that we are people,'' will not make this book a favorite of fundamentalist Christians. Simultaneous audio.