This is the most boring book I have ever read. Its plot is so infinitely small that it is not worth mentioning. I have read all of the Newbery Medals up till 2002, and although some haven't been that good, this one takes the cake for the worst (Even compared to "M.C. Higgens the Great). Personally, I'm glad it is finally out of print, and I would never suggest it to anyone. Of course, it is an alternative to counting sheep...but never mind.

I do not agree with the review given by Horn. This is a gentle story told with compassion and respect. It does not degrade the Dine nor their culture. Laura Armer respected the Dine and, in turn, was respected by them. They called her "the woman who wears turquiose" (she wore turquiose long before it was popular to do so) and "hard-working woman." This story can be appreciated by children who have secret places and are in awe of the beauty and wonder of nature. There is a magic quality to it that supports many children's belief in the mystical realms. I read it to my son when he was seven and we both loved it. I think it might even encourage some to find out more about the Dine people and their culture and beliefs. I suppose the reaction of the Dine characters when they are in the city could be taken as demeaning by those looking for that particular view. However, these people's lives were based on relating, daily, to important life issues, not the non-essential elements that abound in city living and the art/museum world culture - this could make them appear simple. Yet, if the situation were reversed, and the people from the urbanized world were put on the Dine reservation, especially in the 1930's, they would appear awkward, superficial, and "illiterate" in the ways of survival. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I exchanged about a hundred letters with Armer before her death. From her unpublished manuscripts I edited 10 chapters of her Navajoland adventures for Desert Magazine. These chapters were then published as "In Navajoland." She shared many mystical insights with me and a credo which I cherish: "I will walk with fate / And thus compel / The jade to go my way. / A jackal falling down a well said, / "Here I camp today." I have in my living room the large canvas Armer painted called "The Shepherdess," a scene described in one of her books. I welcome any comment on Armer.