Jingle Dancer
Jenna wants to jingle dance at the next powwow, but she doesn't have any jingles for her dress. Resourceful and determined, Jenna visits her great-aunt, an older cousin, and a family friend. She asks each woman if she can borrow a row of jingles. Each provides Jenna with a row, and a request, "Will you dance for me?" For the fourth and final row she needs, Jenna asks her Grandma Wolfe, whose dancing inspired Jenna to begin with. 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. ©2000 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright, Ying-Hwa Hu
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-8
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Community
Dance and Dancers
Families
First/Native Nations
Muscogee (Creek) People
Ojibwe People
Problem-Solving
Diversity subject:
Indigenous
Publishers:
HarperCollins, Morrow
Publish Year: 2000
Pages: 32
ISBN: 068816241X
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Smith