Product Description

Jenna, a contemporary Muscogee (Creek) girl in Oklahoma, wants to honor a family tradition by jingle dancing at the next powwow. But where will she find enough jingles for her dress? An unusual, warm family story, beautifully evoked in Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu's watercolor art.

Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2001, National Council for SS & Child. Book Council

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #198455 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04
• Released on: 2000-04-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780688162412
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
This contemporary Native American tale highlights the importance of family and community through a young girl's dream of joining the dancers at the next powwow. Jenna is a girl of Muscogee (Creek) and Ojibway (Chippewa/Anishinabe) descent. She has practiced the steps for the jingle dance by following her grandmother's moves on a video. Now she must get enough jingles (traditionally made of tin, aluminum, or gold canning lids rolled into cones) to sew on her dress to make a satisfying "tink, tink" as she dances. The way Jenna gathers her jingles (borrowing enough to make a row, but not so many that the lender's dress will "lose its voice"), and her promise to dance for the women who cannot dance for themselves illustrate the importance of family and community ties. The colorful, well-executed watercolor illustrations lend warmth to the story. A note explaining Jenna's heritage and a brief glossary are appended. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Excellent story for all -
What? No teepees or war paint? Bravo! Cynthia Leitich Smith's JINGLE DANCER is a refreshing story about a Muscogee-Ojibway girl wanting to participate in a powwow by performing a traditional dance. This contemporary picture book story is free of the stereotypes sometimes associated with Native American tales, and instead shows Jenna watching her grandma dance on a video tape, visiting a friend in a new duplex in the community, and talking with her lawyer aunt. The reader is also introduced to information about a traditional story, game, foods, and dance. Smith's lyrical narrative and captivating story makes this a perfect read-a-loud -- as my five-year-old daughter will attest to. As an Asian-American, I'm always thrilled to see contemporary stories with multicultural characters shown in real and positive ways.

Beautiful illustrations by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu!

Native children's literature by a Native author--at last!
Until very recently, there were no large press picture books about contemporary Native children written by Indian authors. For this reason, Jingle Dancer is particularly notable. The story of Jenna, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation living with her family in Oklahoma, is written by a Native author. Rather than focusing exclusively on Jenna's Indian identity, however, the book presents Jenna as an average American kid, living in suburbia, who calls on her Native sensibilities and her broad community of supportive females to overcome a problem as she tries to put together her regalia for the Jingle Dance. Readers who are not familiar with the customs presented here will learn much, but above all, they will learn that Indian children are alive, well, and living rich lives amongst them, a lesson infrequently taught, and rarely so pleasantly. Rich, bright, cheerful watercolor illustrations by husband-and-wife team Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu enhance the presentation and bring Jenna to life. A significantly informative Author's Note and Glossary make the book even more effective.

A beautiful story for any child
Cynthia Leitich Smith has penned a graceful, lyrical story in JINGLE DANCER. My son enjoys hearing about Jenna's quest to find jingles for her dress, and loves looking at the beautiful illustrations. It's one of the books we read frequently.

We've also purchased several copies of the book as baby shower gifts, and everyone has loved it. The high-quality writing and exceptional artwork make it a rare find. We can't wait for Ms. Smith's next book.