Bibliography: Smith, Cynthia L. 2000. Jingle Dancer. Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 9780688162412Plot Summary: All Jenna wants to do is jingle dance like her grandmother used to do. She dances along to video tapes of her Grandma Wolfe jingle dancing and longs for the day when she can jingle dance. One day she visits some friends and relatives and gets enough rows of jingles to make her own dress sing. She and her grandmother spend a week making her dancing regalia. Jenna dances for everyone who helped make her dress "jingle" at their next powwow.
Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers): This story revolves around the main character, Jenna, who is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. We learn this by reading the author's note at the end of the book and through the telling of the Muscogee Creek story about Bat by Great-aunt Sis. The setting is in an intertribal community in Oklahoma. Jenna dreams about becoming a jingle dancer just like her Grandma Wolfe. She tells her grandma about her wishes, and her grandma tells her she can dance at the next powwow. The only problem is there isn't enough time to order the tins for rolling jingles. The rest of the story shows how Jenna was able to get enough jingles for her dress.
Some of the cultural markers in the story include food, clothing, language, and traditions. The story begins with Jenna sitting at the kitchen table daydreaming and eating fry bread with honey. Mrs. Scott will be selling fry bread and Indian tacos at the powwow. The characters wear contemporary clothing except at the powwow. There we see the traditional regalia worn by the Muscogee Nation. The illustrator adds other touches such as dream catchers, beaded hair barrettes, and earrings that show Native American patterns. Jenna only wanted to borrow one row of jingles from her family and friends because she didn't want their dresses to "lose their voice". This lets the reader know that the jingles on the jingle dresses are "speaking" and not just making noise. The author uses phrases such as "Moon kissed Sun good night," "Sun fetched morning," and "Sun caught a glimpse of Moon" to describe the time of day. The biggest tradition is, of course, the powwow. We learn from the glossary that the powwow Jenna attended was intertribal, meaning "Native peoples of many Nations participate".
The illustrator uses watercolors for the illustrations with orange, blue, green, tan, and golden yellow hues. The characters have tan skin with dark, long hair which stays true to Native American characteristics. The neighborhood is very modern, and the homes have modern furniture and appliances. The carpet and throw blanket in Grandma Wolfe's house have a Native American print.
I enjoyed reading this story and became interested in jingle dresses and dances. I learned so much more from the author's note at the end of the book than from the story itself. I do not know if many of my students take the time to read beyond the story itself. By skipping the author's note they would miss out on learning where the Creek Nation is located, where the first jingle dancers came from, what jingle dresses are made from and what goes on them, how jingles are made, what regalia means, why a family has a "giveaway" for new dancers, and why the number four is significant for many Native Americans. This is great information to learn, but I am afraid many younger readers will miss out on it. The story would have been better if some of this information had been incorporated into it.
Review Excerpt(s):
From Publishers Weekly
Smith, a mixed-blood member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, convincingly juxtaposes cherished Native American tradition and contemporary lifestyle in this smooth debut. Watching a videotape of Grandma Wolfe performing a jingle dance, Jenna is determined to dance at an upcoming powwow. But she lacks the cone-shaped, tin jingles that are sewn on to dancers' dresses as part of the regalia. The girl walks down a suburban sidewalk lined with modern houses as she sets out to visit her great-aunt, a neighbor, a cousin and Grandma Wolfe, all of whom lend her jingles for her dress. Smith's language consciously evokes legend. For example, "As Sun caught a glimpse of the Moon" indicates the time of day; and Jenna is careful to borrow only a limited number of jingles, "not wanting to take so many that [another's] dress would lose its voice." Van Wright and Hu's (Jewels) lifelike renderings capture the genuine affection between Jenna and these caring older women. Their easy integration of Native and standard furnishings and clothing gracefully complement Smith's heartening portrait of a harmonious meshing of old and new. Ages 4-10. (Apr.)
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Without enough tin jingles to make her dress sing, how can Jenna be a jingle dancer just like Grandma Wolfe at the next powwow? She borrows one row from Great-aunt Sis, whose aching legs keep her from dancing; another from Mrs. Scott, who sells fry bread; one from Cousin Elizabeth, whose work keeps her away from the festivities; and a fourth row from Grandma, who helps Jenna sew the jingles to her dress, assemble her regalia, and practice her bounce-steps. When the big day arrives, the girl feels proud to represent these four women and carry on their tradition. Watercolor paintings in bright, warm tones fill each page. In scenes where she is dancing, backgrounds of blurred figures effectively represent both the large audience and the many generations whose tradition the gathering honors. Seeing Jenna as both a modern girl in the suburban homes of her intertribal community and as one of many traditionally costumed participants at the powwow will give some readers a new view of a contemporary Native American way of life. An author's note and glossary tell more about the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Ojibway origins of jingle dancing, and the significance of the number four in Native American tradition. This picture book will not only satisfy a need for materials on Native American customs, but will also be a welcome addition to stories about traditions passed down by the women of a culture.
Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Explain what "she didn't want to take so many that the dress would lose its voice" means.
*What time of day was it when Jenna went to visit Great-Aunt Sis? Mrs. Scott? Cousin Elizabeth? How do you know?
*Prepare Indian tacos for a class feast.
*Bring in an authentic dress with rows of jingles.
*Several videos are posted on Youtube of jingle dancers. Watch several different videos and compare/contrast or just enjoy the dances.
Other Books by Cynthia Leitich Smith:
*Rain Is Not My Indian Name. ISBN 9780688173975
*Indian Shoes. ISBN 9780060295318
Other Picture Books about Native Americans:
* A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchak. (Lakota) ISBN 978-0698116160
*Crazy Horse's Vision by Joseph Bruchak (Lakota) ISBN 9781417832804
*The Mud Pony retold by Caron Lee Cohen (Pawnee) ISBN 9780812478051
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