BIBLIOGRAPHY
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2000. Jingle Dancer.Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. New York, NY: Morrow Junior books. ISBN- 10: 068816241X ISBN-13: 978-0688162412
PLOT SUMMARY
Jenna, is a young modern day member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and of Ojibway (Chippewa/Anishinabe) descent. Jenna’s Grandma Wolfe performs the jingle dance at the powwows and Jenna’s dream is to perform the traditional jingle dance like her grandmother. However, she doesn’t have the jingles for her dress to make it sing. This story is about how her female relatives and community friends donate silver jingles from their dresses so Jenna will be able to dance the jingle dance at the next powwow. Jingle Dancer is a story of Native American tradition and family love.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Tink, tink, tink, tink sang cone-shaped jingles sewn to Grandma Wolfe's dress. Every Grandma bounce-step brought clattering tinks as light blurred silver against jingles of tin.
Jenna daydreamed at the kitchen table, tasting honey on fry bread, her heart beating to the brum, brum, brum, brum of the powwow drum.
As Moon kissed Sun goodnight, Jenna shifted her head on Grandma Wolfe's shoulder. "I want to jingle dance, too." (Smith, pg. 2)
Jingle Dancer is a story of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Native American tradition, of the women and young girls performing the jingle dance during the powwow. A powwow is a social and spiritual event that usually takes place in the summer. It is a time for dancing, drumming, eating, storytelling and more.
Grandma Wolfe has performed the jingle dance since she was a girl, carrying on the tradition of her Muscogee (Creek) Nation heritage. Jenna watches her grandmother on video and copies the dance steps that her grandmother uses. When Grandma bounce-stepped on TV, Jenna bounce-stepped on family room carpet. (Smith, pg.5) Jenna’s dress does not have the jingles to make her dress sing and Grandma Wolfe says there is not enough time to order the silver tins for rolling jingles. This is where Jenna’s story takes off with her visiting first her Great-aunt Sis, who she finds out won’t be able to dance at the powwow. Her aunt says she could borrow a row of tins from her dress. Mrs. Scott, a neighbor, is visited next, will not be able to dance either and she loans Jenna a row from her dress. Last is Cousin Elizabeth who works for a law firm and due to work will not be able to dance either, so she loans Jenna a row of tins from her dress. Each of the women who loaned her the tins asked her to dance for them at the powwow. Truly a message here of how important the dance was to Jenna and the sharing of her family and friends to help make Jenna’s dream come true.
The story is full of cultural makers with the first page showing Grandma Wolfe in her traditional jingle dress with the silver tins all around the red skirt and on the front of the dress. Her grandmother has a feather in her hair and one in her hand. She is wearing a bolo to hold her scarf around her neck. Traditionally Native American Indians have silver and turquoise jewelry. The bola has a stone in the center and the belt around her waist also has stones. Her moccasins are white soft leather with intricate colored bead work in the tradition of her costume. The people’s hair color is dark, eye color brown and some facial features of Native American heritage. The homes are modern traditional with some cultural decorations like the dream catcher and a Native American women picture in Cousin Elizabeth’s home. The Native American basket and red blanket in Grandma Wolfe’s home also depicted cultural markers. The hair clips in Mrs. Scott’s hair were the colored beaded work similar to the moccasins of Grandma Wolfe and the ones that Grandma Wolfe wore as a girl that Jenna is wearing for her jingle dance. The powwow really showed the girls in their traditional jingle dresses with the silver tins, bright colors, and the different moccasins. The men were in the traditional dress with the feathered head pieces; braided hair tied with leather, and feathered shields. The men’s facial features were more pronounced in showing their Native American Indian heritage. There was also the mention of Indian Fry Bread, honey, and Indian tacos which are native foods in the American Indian tradition.
“Tink, tink, tink, tink” - the sound of the jingles, “ brum, brum, brum, brum” - the sound of the drum beating, four rows of jingles on the dress, and the four directions at four different residences shows the importance of the number four, which is a sacred number to many Native Americans. These are stressed throughout the book. The author also includes background information on the Native American tribes represented in the story as well as some history of the jingle dance, dress, and tradition. A glossary of terms is also included.
Husband and wife, Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, illustrated this story using watercolors for the full –color illustrations. They did an excellent job in capturing the Native American Indian culture and traditions. I was truly impressed with the powwow and how the dancers were the center of attention and the rest of the people were visible, but almost faded. It was a wonderful way to show how important Jenna was in this story without leaving out the surrounding theme of the powwow. The text type is 18-point Cochin.
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. (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
AWARDS/HONORS
Finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award
Runner-up for the Western Writers Association Storyteller Award
Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
Texas 2 x 2 List
CONNECTIONS
Before reading Jingle Dancer, explain to the students what family traditions are. After reading ask students to brainstorm about their own family traditions. Write answers on the board. Discuss the differences and likes in comparison to Jenna’s family traditions. Re-read the story to emphasis the family traditions of Jenna’s family. Have students write about a family tradition that they enjoy and then have them illustrate it. Students will then share their stories and pictures with the class.
This will then lead to the class researching other cultures and their traditions.
Visit Cynthia Leitich Smith Web Site for a curriculum guide of Jingle Dancer.
http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/
Other books by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Indian Shoes. ISBN: 9780060295318
Tantalize. ISBN: 9780763640590
Holler Loudly. ISBN: 9780525422563
Eternal. ISBN: 9780763635732
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