Bibliography
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2000. Jingle Dancer. Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 0688162428.
Plot Summary
Young Jenna dreams of the day she will jingle dance at powwow just like her Grandma Wolfe. But Jenna has a problem. She does not have jingles for her dress and she must have four rows in order for her dress to sing at the upcoming powwow. Jenna sets out to visit four women in her life to ask to borrow enough jingles to complete a row on her dress. Each woman gladly loans Jenna the jingles and asks that she dance in the powwow for them. After collecting enough jingles to make four rows on her dress, she and Grandma Wolfe carefully stitch the jingles in place so the dress may sing. At powwow, Jenna danced for all the women who helped her make her dream come true.
Critical Analysis
Smith gives the “insider” perspective as she tells the contemporary story of young Jenna and her desire to jingle dance. Jenna borrows only enough jingles from the women in her life so as not to have their dresses “lose their voice”. She carefully practices her “bounce steps” while watching her Grandma Wolfe on video tape as her heart beats “brum, brum, brum” to the powwow drum, and she breathes every “hey-ah-ho-o of a powwow song.”
The author’s note and glossary provide some historical background on the Muscogee Creek and Ojibway, including the fact that the Ojibway women were credited as being the first jingle dancers. A detailed description of how the jingles are made and the significance of the regalia worn during powwow lead readers to a greater understanding of the authenticity depicted through the story of Jenna and her need for four rows of jingles. Due to the symbolic nature of the number four, Smith uses it throughout the story as Jenna visits four women, and collects jingles for four rows for her dress.
The watercolor illustrations in the book nicely portray the contemporary and traditional lives of Jenna, her Grandma Wolfe, Aunt Sis, Mrs. Scott, and cousin, Elizabeth. The contemporary lifestyle is shown through the environmental surroundings of each home which are very modern, as well as the clothing worn by each character. The traditional aspect is shown through the artistic rendition of the jingle dresses with attention to detail such as the shape of the bells and solid fabric color choices which reflect that of the culture. The hairstyles of the jingle dancers also reflect authentic traditional styles as do the conch belts, scarves, boots, beaded moccasins, and hand-held feathers.
Review Excerpts
“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.” Booklist
“Jenna, a young Native American of Muscogee and Ojibway heritage, longs to dance the jingle dance at a powwow. This dance, in which females dance with jingling cones on their dresses, is authentically depicted by Smith, who is herself a member of the Muscogee Nation. Jenna repeatedly watches her Grandma Wolfe dancing on a VCR tape and wishes for a dress full of the jingling cones. Unfortunately, there is no time to order the tin to be rolled into jingles before the powwow. Jenna needs four rows of jingles for her dress, so she borrows jingles from other female family members and friends, taking only one row from each woman because she doesn't want their dresses to "lose their voices." Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu provide warm watercolor illustrations. This book would be a welcome addition to any elementary library.” Library Talk
Connections
Other books available for an author study of Cynthia Leitich Smith include:
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Rain is Not My Name. ISBN 9780688173975
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Indian Shoes. ISBN 9780060295318
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