There are certain books that sing, that are perfect for
reading aloud. And I just found a new
(to me) book to add to my collection!
In Cynthia Leitich Smith’s debut picture book, Jingle
Dancer, young Jenna wants to be like her Grandma Wolfe and dance at the
powwow. She is learning the steps, but
does not have time to order the tin to make her jingles. Rather than go without, Jenna has an idea. While visiting friends and family, Jenna asks
three women if she may borrow a line of jingles for her dress. Finally, she borrows the last required line
from Grandma Wolfe herself. At the
powwow, Jenna jingle danced for her friends and family who helped her.
One of my first criterions for selecting a picture book is, “How
does it read?” Reading a book silently
to yourself is very different from performing a book for an audience, no matter
how large or small. A good picture book
must have rhythm. Jingle Dancer
has rhythm. A good picture book must
come to life. Jingle Dancer is
lively. Smith’s use of language is
musical. She repeats onomatopoeic words
like “Tink, tink, tink, tink” for the sound of the jingles on the dresses and “Brum,
brum, brum, brum” for the sound of the drums at the powwow. Jingle Dancer is also written like an
oral story. Transitional phrases like “As
Moon kissed Sun good night” give the reader or listening a feeling they are
experiencing a story that has been told many times before.
Jingle Dancer is also a valuable book. It features native characters, of the
Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Ojibway, in a positive, non-stereotypical
fashion. In short, they are regular
people, not cultural stand-ins. They are
a grandmother who loves her granddaughter (“Grandma Wolfe, who warmed like Sun.”),
a neighbor selling food at a gathering (“Once again, Jenna rolled dough, and
Mrs. Scott fried it.”) and a family member, a lawyer, preparing for a big case
(“Once again, Jenna helped Elizabeth carry in her files.”). The characters in Smith’s book are all
female, relatable and affirmative representations.
A short, but detailed Author’s Note with accompanying
glossary rounds out the book. In it,
Smith describes origins of the jingle dancer, and the significance of the
dance, the materials and the number four (the story mentions that Jenna’s dress
“needed four rows of jingles.”).
Illustrations throughout by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu bring
to life these cultural details in vibrant watercolors.
Publishers Weekly
noted Smith’s use of language, saying Smith “consciously evokes legend”. The review also credits the illustrators with
the “easy integration of Native and standard furnishings and clothing
gracefully complement Smith's heartening portrait of a harmonious meshing of
old and new.” Jingle Dancer was a
recommended book for the Oklahoma Book Award and the Texas Reading Club.
The first thing I wanted to do after reading Jingle
Dancer, was to see a jingle dance for myself. Thank internet for YouTube! A quick search yielded several good
results. When the time comes that I will
be able to share this book with my patrons, I would love to show them a video
of a real jingle dance as well. Cynthia
Leitich Smith thankfully has one of the best author sites on the internet (http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/),
so interested readers, listeners or educations have plenty to find and
explore. Smith offers teaching guides,
reader’s theater scripts and more for a variety of her books. Her website is a veritable playground!
For readers looking for more books in which to dive, they
couldn’t look in a better direction than towards the work of Cree-Metis
author/illustrator Julie Flett. This
time of year is especially ripe for her picture books Wild Berries (no
pun intended) and Owls See Clearly at Night. Both books incorporate native languages (Cree
and Michif) and are beautiful to look at.
Wonderful books for bedtime.
Smith, Cynthia Leitich.
Jingle Dancer. Illustrated
by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu.
New York: Morrow Junior Books, 2000.
ISBN: 9780688162412
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