Book Review: Jingle Dancer

Smith, Cynthia. Jingle Dancer. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 2000

Jingle Dancer, written by Cynthia Leitich Smith is a great book written for children. It gives the story of a young Muscogee-Ojibway girl who wants to participate in a powwow by performing a jingle dance like her grandmother once did. In order to do this dance, she must collect enough jingles to make rows on her dress. Jenna goes to different members of her family in order to collect enough jingles for the dress. Jenna’s grandma helps her put the dress together and practice the dance. When Jenna finally performs the dance she is very proud to represent different members of her family and do a wonderful dance.

This book is free of the stereotypes that are sometimes associated with Native Americans. Jenna watches a dance on a video, visits a friend in a duplex and visits her aunt who is a lawyer. The clothing is all contemporary as well as the neighborhood which Jenna and her relatives live in. Jenna is seen as a modern girl living in a modern home. She is not depicted as a Native American who lives in a teepee and wears feathers, which is how many Native Americans are depicted in literature. This book has wonderful illustrations which seem to focus a great deal on Jenna and her family. She looks very happy in all of the illustrations and Native Americans are seen in a very positive light. Jenna’s aunt and grandmother are seen as very modern as well. It is not until the end of the book where we see Jenna dressed in her jingle dress, dancing at the regalia. This goes to show how Jenna’s life is just like anyone else’s. Jingle Dancer teaches the reader about Native American customs as well as traditions of the culture.

The author of this book, Cynthia Leitich Smith is a mixed-blood member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. At the end of the book there is an authors note and glossary. These are two wonderful things to include in a book like this one. Many times readers don’t understand words or traditions and it’s helpful to have a further explanation. Jingle Dancer is Cynthia Leitich Smith’s first book and what a wonderful job she did with it. This book could easily be read by any audience.