Jingle Dancer

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2000. JINGLE DANCER. Ill. by Van Wright, Cornelius. and Ying-Hwa Hu. New York: Morrow Books.
ISBN-10: 068816241X

PLOT SUMMARY
Jenna daydreams of becoming a Jingle Dancer like her grandmother. When grandmother tells Jenna she can dance at the next powwow she is excited. She watches videos of her grandmother over and over so she will be perfect. However, all the practice will not fix her problem. Grandmother does not have enough time to order Jingles for her dress. Determined to have the jingles for her dress she goes to her friends and family in the neighborhood to ask for help. Generously the allow her to borrow a few jingles to make her regalia perfect and carry on the tradition of their cultures dance.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Smith has done an excellent job telling the tale of Jenna a member of the Creek nation. Smith herself a member of the Creek nation is able to write from the insider’s point of view. This view is so rare in Native American Literature. Jenna the main character is seen from a modern perspective. She lives in a modern community with her family close around. This modern view is evident in the clothing and activities that Jenna participates in and the women Jenna visits in order to get jingles for her dress. These women are independent, strong, and modern. One example is Jenna’s cousin Elizabeth the lawyer. Besides showing strong women Smith has also made sure to include accurate information about the dress and customs surrounding it. At the end she has also included an author’s note explaining the Creek nation and the history behind the original jingle dancers. The end also includes a glossary explaining some of the words used in the story that readers may be unfamiliar with.
Wright and Hu’s illustrations in soft colors work well with the story. The colors are not overwhelming and do not take the readers attention away from the story. The skin tone on the characters is a soft tan color indicating that they are of ethnic background. The tone is never too red like many pictures of Native Americans. They have made sure to illustrate the community like any other community in America. The final scene when Jenna is dancing is shown as a blur to emphasis Jenna and her dress. This is nice to see rather than an over drawn Powwow with feathers and drums.
Overall, this is an excellent book to share with children about the customs of the Creek Nation.



REVIEW EXCERPTS
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.

School Library Journal
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.

Reviews accessed at:
http://www.amazon.com/Jingle-Dancer-Cynthia-Leitich-Smith/dp/068816241X


CONNECTIONS
Additional Books on Native American Culture
Pushing up the Sky: Seven Native American Plays for Children
ISBN-10: 0803721684

The First Strawberries
ISBN-10: 0140564098
Teaching Guide
http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/CLS/cyn_books/jingle/guide_to_jingle.html