Jingle Dancer

Review of Jingle Dancer

A book written by Cynthia Leitich Smith

A. Book Information

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Illus. By Van Wright, Cornelius and Hu, Ying-Hwa. 2000. New York, NY: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 0-688-16241-X.

B. Plot Summary

Jenna is preparing for the tradition of jingle dancing that has been passed down through generations of women in her Muscogee Creek family. Jenna practices at home in front of the TV using videotape, but she soon realizes that she does not have enough jingles for her regalia. Jenna visits the women of her life—her Great aunt Sis, the neighbor Mrs. Scott, Cousin Elizabeth, and Grandma Wolfe to ask for jingles for her dress. In turn, Jenna promises to dance for each woman who has contributed to her dance regalia.

C. Critical Analysis

Crystal Leitich Smith has made a great contribution to children’s literature with this book. She is a mixed-blood member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and has shed some natural light onto what it is like to be a Native American in today’s world. The special thing about this book is that the main character is every child. She wears sneakers, which we later see her changing into her moccasins; she lives in a neighborhood that looks like any suburban American home (an intertribal community in Oklahoma); and there is a nice transition between showing the modern side of Jenna and the Jenna who takes part in a traditional powwow. It is this accurate portrayal that will help educate children that Native Americans lead lives very similar to their own. It also humanizes the “Indians” that are portrayed inaccurately in so much of children’s literature still circulating.

There are many cultural markers in this book including food, vocabulary, and oral tradition. In the story we meet Mrs. Scott who is making fry bread and Indian tacos. A glossary in the back of the book gives a more in-depth description about both fry bread and Indian Tacos. Instead of using standard time or transitional words, the author uses phrases such as “As Sun arrived at midcircle.” When Jenna visits her Great-aunt Sis she tells a Muscogee Creek story about Bat. In the author’s note at the back of the book she explains more about such traditional stories.

The illustrators, Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu have done a nice job illustrating this book in watercolor. The facial expressions are especially charming, and the skin tones and facial features of the characters accurately portray the Native American heritage.

D. Review Excerpts

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.

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.
Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA

Reviews accessed at:

http://www.amazon.com/Jingle-Dancer-Cynthia-Leitich-Smith/dp/068816241X/ref=sr_1_1/102-6525658-6305719?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183606011&sr=8-1

E. Connections

Other books for young people by Cynthia Leitich Smith.

· Rain Is Not My Indian Name. ISBN 0688173977

· Indian Shoes. ISBN 0060295317