Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Smith, Cynthia Leitich.  2000. JINGLE DANCER. Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu.  New York: Morrow Junior Books.  ISBN 068816248

PLOT SUMMARY

Jenna, a young member of the Muscogee Nation, is anxious to participate in her first jingle dance at a powwow.  However, her dress does not have enough jingles to make the celebratory noise needed for this traditional dance.  She visits several of her female relatives and asks each one if she can borrow a row of jingles so her dress  can "sing."  After collecting enough jingles, Jenna is able to dance at the powwow and does so in honor of those who helped her.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

As a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, Cynthia Leitich Smith introduces readers to some of the sacred traditions and traditions of her culture.  Smith's effectively uses onomatopoeia to help young readers feel the "heartbeat" of the book, symbolic of the rhythm in the jingle dance young Jenna is preparing for. Repeated use of phrases such as "tink, tink, tink, tink" and "brum, brum, brum, brum" capture the musical sounds and drum beats associated with the Muscogee Creek Nation's Girls  jingle dance.  

Throughout the text, Smith uses personification to emphasize the sacred value the Muscogee Nation gives to the Sun.  The Sun, which is the source of life, is described as fetching the morning, arriving at mid-circle, and catching a glimpse of the moon every night.  Smith also uses accurate cultural details throughout the story to bring cultural knowledge and awareness to all young readers.   For example, when Jenna visits her neighbor, Mrs. Scott is making fry bread and Indian tacos.  Jenna also works with her grandmother, named Grandma Wolfe, to sew on the collected jingles to her dress.   The spiritual value of the dance regalia is repeatedly emphasized with each visit Jenna makes to her relatives.  As she collects the jingles, Jenna is mindful not to take too many so that her relatives' dresses will "not lose its voice" and their dress can still "sing."  The motif of four is reflected in the four rows of jingles Jenna must have for her dress as well as the four visits she makes to collect the jingles.  To help young readers gain a better understanding of the Native peoples traditions and beliefs, Smith includes an "Author's Note" to provide more details about the Muscogee Creek Nation's geographic locations as well as information on the honor and respect given to young girls at their first jingle dance.  The author also includes a short glossary of terms describing to young readers what frybread, Indian tacos, and powwows are.  This allows the audience to learn more about a culture that may be very different than their own.

The strength of this book is found in the realistic, richly-colored watercolor illustrations created by Wright and Hu.  Their illustrations reflect a variety of Muscogee Nation people living in a contemporary society while  still observing traditional customs of the Native culture.  The story's characters are shown living in brand-new duplexes, two-story homes, and apartments; not in teepees as some readers may have expected.   Cultural details consistent with the Muscogee culture are also seen in the accurate illustrations depicting the physical attributes, hairstyles, and clothing of the characters.  All of the female characters' skin tone are various shades of brown, have dark brown eyes, and have straight or wavy-textured black hair.  Attention to detail is given in the clothing and accessories worn by Jenna and her relatives.  As readers turn the pages, they see warm aqua and coral colors in Mrs. Scott's intricately decorated barrette and earrings; a feather-covered wind catcher in cousin Elizabeth's bedroom; and the multi-colored beaded moccasins Jenna puts on to practice her jingle dance.  It is in these intricate details that the authenticity of the story is seen and felt.

When Jenna finally performs her jingle dance, she is beautifully dressed in ornate regalia, wearing a red handkerchief around her neck, yellow and aqua-colored layers in her dress, and intricately beaded moccasins.  As she dances happily with other young girls of the Native culture, she holds and waves a feather to honor those who helped make her jingle dance possible.  Readers see other Muscogee Creek Nation members look on, with male members wearing feathered headdresses , brightly colored headbands, and paint on their faces.  Female members have their hair braided in two strands, with each strand draping their neck, and a single feather in their hair.  The accuracy and depiction found in the illustrations of native people gives young readers a glimpse into the lives of Muscogee Creek Nation members living in a contemporary society.

REVIEWS:

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: "Even on a cursory first reading Smith's words sing, in this warm little tale of a child seeking to dance herself a place. In conjunction with the glowing illustrations, Jingle Dancer reads like a visual poem. ..The blending of contemporary and traditional, the feel of a child secure in that embrace, the changing face of art and craft and tradition itself--these are refreshingly and unobtrusively depicted here."

COOPERATIVE CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTER CHOICES: "There are lyrical turns of phrase in this picture book about a contemporary Mucogee/Ojibway child who achieves her dream with love and support from her elders. Jenna, her family, and friends all embrace cultural traditions while living contemporary lives, as the full-page watercolor illustrations emphasize. An author's note provides additional facts about Jenna's heritage and jingle dancing."

KIRKUS: " The watercolor illustrations clearly and realistically depict what is happening in the story. The layout of the book is straightforward-mostly double-page spreads that extend all the way to the edges of the paper. Jenna lives in what looks like a nice suburban house, the others seem solidly middle-class, and cousin Elizabeth is a lawyer. The author is deliberately showing us, it would seem, that all Native Americans are not poor or live on rundown reservations. A useful portrayal of an important cultural event in a Creek girl's year."

CONNECTIONS

* Have students read other books by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. INDIAN SHOES. ISBN 9780060295325.
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME. ISBN 9780807204290. 

*Have students watch women dance a jingle dance at a powwow. Have them compare the similarities they see in regalia in both the story's characters and the dancers in the video.  A video may be found at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iArcG-S3_QM