JINGLE DANCER

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Jingle Dancer. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. ISBN 978-0-688-16242-9.

PLOT SUMMARY: Jenna, a young girl of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and of Ojibway (Chippewa/Anishinabe) descent, wishes to jingle dance for the first time at the next powwow. Since there isn't enough time to gather the required jingles for the dress, Jenna asks the older women in her life to borrow a row of jingles to make her own dance regalia.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Cynthia Leitich Smith is a mixed-blood member of the Moscogee (Creek) Nation, like the character Jenna in the story. The authenticity of the Native American story is intact, as many of the qualities are present to suggest authenticity in culture. The number four is emphasized in the story, with Jenna borrowing four rows of jingles from four important women in her life. Even the onomatopoeia of sounds in the story such as tink, tink, tink, tink, and brum, brum, brum, brum are presented in fours. Traditional foods such as fry bread are eaten, and a traditional story about a bat is told as well. The characters' features are well-defined and consistent with the tribe represented. The soft watercolor paintings are illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. The illustrations complement the soft rhythmic text and the caring story. They help to show the close relationship Jenna has with the strong females in her life, and particularly with her grandmother. When Jenna dances in the powwow, she is dancing for each of these women, yet she has only borrowed some of the jingles, allowing each of them to keep enough jingles to continue to make their own music.

The author's note following the story is informative and thorough. It tells about the tribe Jenna supposedly descends from, including facts about its people. The dance and its importance are explained, as is the tradition of the jingles on the dance regalia. A glossary is also included for the few words that may be unfamiliar to readers.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

Horn Book Guide:
Dance regalia and modern-day life are ably depicted in fluid watercolors.

School Library Journal:
Watercolor paintings in bright, warm tones fill each page. 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.

Booklist:
The colorful, well-executed watercolor illustrations lend warmth to the story.

Publisher's Weekly:
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.

CONNECTIONS:

* In the glossary, fry bread and Indian tacos are described. These are foods that were eaten in the book. Make fry bread with your class, and then use the fry bread to make Indian tacos. If you don't want to make traditional fry bread, you can talk about fry bread and Indian tacos, but simply make traditional "American" tacos. Talk about the differences between tacos we are familiar with and those in the story. What kind of meats are used? Are the toppings similar?

* Because regalia is spiritual and highly valued, it would not be wise to try to copy it. Instead, research regalia and see which tribes use it. What are the differences between tribes and their regalia? What other tribes (if any) do jingle dancing at powwows?

* Have girls with longer hair (or boys if their hair is long enough) braid their hair or each other's hair. Have some students make one braid, and others make two. Barrettes, ornaments, and feathers are often used, so use these as well if possible.